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Review 43 is on its way!

Members can expect the latest issue of the J-type Review to drop through their letterboxes over the next couple of days.

It’s another fab issue with lots of interesting content, from both sides of the globe.

Review-43


Mid-May update!

A pot-pourri of items that have surfaced over the last few weeks.






Review 41 is on its way!

review-41


From the world of J-types…

A bit of a catch-up of what is happening around the globe. J-type progress on more than one continent!


Grand Prix motorcycle legend Geoff Duke dies.

Geoff-Duke-NX

JMU 922: Geoff Duke Ltd.

JMU 922: Geoff Duke Ltd.

British motorcycle racing legend Geoff Duke – a six-time Isle of Man TT winner and world champion – has died at the age of 92.

Geoff was one of the first major stars of grand prix motorcycle racing in the 1950s.

He made his name at the famous Isle of Man event, earning a factory Norton ride after winning the 1949 Senior Clubmans TT and Senior Manx Grand Prix.

In his first year with Norton, he set a record pace on the way to TT victory and came within one point of the 500cc world championship, finishing second in the 350cc class too.

The following year he dominated both the 350cc and 500cc championships to claim his first world titles, adding further TT wins along the way, and he successfully defended his 350cc crown in 1952 despite his season being curtailed early by injuries.

Duke switched from Norton to Gilera for 1953, focused solely on 500cc racing and dominated. A further three world titles were notched up, along with another TT win in 1955.

Geoff also dabbled in sportscar racing with Aston Martin, a podium finish in a DB3 in Goodwood’s Easter Handicap in 1952 being the high point in results terms.

The 1955 crown proved to be Duke’s last world championship victory and he retired after 1959 with 22 500cc and 11 350cc wins to his name, plus six titles across the two classes.

Gray Southard and I met Geoff at the 100th Anniversary of Norton Rally at the National Motorcycle Museum in 1998. Ever the gentleman, Geoff was happy to pose in front of 5003 NX, having owned a J-type himself in the 1950s.

 

 


Ouch!

NXO 191

NXO 191

Luckily the driver was unhurt after this!

Our thanks to Dennis Bradley for supplying these photos.

NXO 191

NXO 191


Review 39 hits the streets!

Review-39

Review 39 is about to go into the post. Collected from the printers a couple of hours ago!

This 20-page issue includes:

A Review of the Classic Van and Pick-up Show at Gaydon

A follow-up article about M~C’s post-war styling

A Review of the Goodwood Revival

Archive street scenes

‘A chance encounter of the J-type kind’ by Peter Bateman

‘On the Move’ Down Under…

‘On the Move’ nearer home…

‘Riding the wave of popularity’

An archive colour Morris advertisement

Diecast Model Update

and A Review of the Classic Motor Show at the NEC

 


What a wedding car!

What a difference a week makes! Just seven days after owner Gary Sumner had to admit defeat with getting SLO 234 to Gaydon for the Classic Van and Pick-up Show, the beautifully restored Mail van performed the task of delivering the bride to church on time at the wedding of Lucie and Alwyn. What a great way to start married life!
Molly-side-wedding

Molly-SLO-front

From a pristine van to one in a sorry state. This photo was emailed to us by Lisa Snow in New Zealand. It shows a J-type involved in an accident in Napier, New Zealand. Ouch! Photo courtesy of Pete Bullivant.

J-van-Napier-NZ


GPO J-types…

Following on from the last blog post, we’ve added more photos to the GPO J van gallery archives in the History section.


J-types now, and then…

Royal Mail vans SLO 234 (owned by Register member Gary Sumner) and YLH 449 (owned by Register member Gordon Wilson) came together at the Post Office Vehicle Club’s gathering at The Milton Keynes Museum on Sunday 27th April 2014. Gary and Gordon have promised that both vans will grace the J-type Register stand at the Gaydon Classic Van and Pick-up Show on August 10th 2014. We are hoping to get a number of vans to this one!

Royal Mail J-types, YLH-449 and SLO-234

 

We have also trawled through Register archives to add a few more shots of vans in service in the ’50s and ’60s and will add more as and when time permits.

http://www.jtypevan.com/history/long-gone/