With black clouds gathering on the horizon from Europe and the possibility of war with Germany it was quite surprising that for 1939 BSA was to offer up 16 different models and 5 sidecars. Perhaps they were in belief that the Hilter wasn’t a tyrant and that the politicians would have it all sorted by Christmas. History has proven otherwise.
Nevertheless motorcycling wasn’t standing still. Machines were still rolling off the production line for the public to buy and the British ISDE Team headed off to the unsettled Czech Republic to compete in that years event. Little did they realise that they would have to ride nonstop to the border before it closed and the hostilities commenced.
BSA produced a unique range of machines for that year, and quite strangely 2 of the models were still hand change, the B21 and B23 SV. C10 and C11 machines were the 250s suited for the slower or learner rider. B25 was the Competition model, and then there was the B26, M20,M21 and M22. For the more stylish rider there was the B24 350cc OHV Silver Star, the M23 500cc OHV Silver Star, and the M24 500cc OHV Gold Star. Sidecars could be powered by the M models or if you wanted more power then BSAs G14 1000cc V twin would be the order.
It is quite a stylish catalogue, as representative of other catalogues from other manufacturers of the same time, and with chrome petrol tanks, the option of upswept exhaust pipes and those lovely big fishtail mufflers who wouldn’t want a BSA for 1939?
At 23 pages it also includes BSAs successes for 1938 with the Maudes Trophy being awarded for Meritous Motorcycle Performance of the Year in a Certified Test. This was obtained with a 500c OHV Empire Star and a 600c SV machine.
This is BSAs Overseas Edition catalogue from dealer H W Humphreys, BSA agent from Broadwood. Click on the BSA advertisement below to see the complete publication.
It is 4.14M and as a PDF you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
An advertisement from November 1939 issue of The MotorCycle for BSAs C11. With the war raging in Europe this was the machine to get the most of from the newly introduced petrol rationing.
