Rod Nixon
Congratulations to the Malenotti fashion empire for their services to the history of British manufacturing. In an impressive feat of historical research, the Malenotti dynasty has discovered that the long-defunct British motorcycle manufacturer ‘Matchless’, whose brand they purchased in 2012, was already in the business of producing protective motorcycle clothing in the 1920s. As the born-again ‘Matchless London’ firm states in the ‘Heritage’ section of its website:
Congratulations to the Malenotti fashion empire for their services to the history of British manufacturing. In an impressive feat of historical research, the Malenotti dynasty has discovered that the long-defunct British motorcycle manufacturer ‘Matchless’, whose brand they purchased in 2012, was already in the business of producing protective motorcycle clothing in the 1920s. As the born-again ‘Matchless London’ firm states in the ‘Heritage’ section of its website:
'Thanks to the foresight of its enterpreneurs, Matchless was the first motorcycle company to work on rider safety, creating a department of studies where clothing was designed to protect the motorcyclist (clothing was then tested by the best riders of the time).'[1]
This impressive piece of historical research has astonished a number of enthusiasts of the old bikes, who had never previously heard of the endeavours of Matchless in this area, let alone laid their eyes upon any Matchless motorcycle clothing dating from the 1920s or 1930s. Similarly the new historical findings have surprised those interested in the history of motorcycle protective clothing, who’d previously been focused on things like the helmet, in the apparently mistaken belief that it was more important to safety than fashionable leather attire.
One of those most surprised by the new historical findings is author Bill Cakebread. Bill worked at the Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) factory that produced Matchless bikes, and has written books on the history of Matchless motorcycles and the Collier family that originally owned Matchless and AMC. Based on research to inform his new book The Matchless Colliers, Bill has had ‘direct contact with the descendants of the Collier family and access to their family archives’. Based on his research, Bill reports '...no record or memory of such clothing whatsoever...'[2] and observes that:
'It is strange that not one member of the Collier family nor any former employee has any knowledge of the Company's involvement in the manufacture, design or promotion of clothing of any kind. What is known of the protective clothing that they did use, e.g. crash helmets, was that it [was] bought in from outside suppliers.'[3]
Similarly, neither the Staffordshire-based Vintage Motor Cycle Club[4] (VMCC) nor the UK National Motorcycle Museum[5] have any records of Matchless motorcycle clothing catalogues in their archives.
Obviously, this makes the historical research undertaken by the new owners of the Matchless brand, for uncovering what no one else knew existed, all the more ground-breaking. The ‘Heritage’ section of the Matchless London website (cited above) even includes electronic examples of the extremely rare motorcycle clothing catalogues, dated 1927 and 1928, along with the information that ‘During the same period, Matchless developed a deep know-how of leather clothing, with specialities in clothing for motocycle [sic] racing’. Admittedly from here, the catalogues posted on the website look like nonsensical mock-ups, featuring random photographs (some from decades later) and including no details of actual items for sale or prices. In these parts, though, the ants and cockroaches often get into the electrics, so this could be the problem.
This impressive piece of historical research has astonished a number of enthusiasts of the old bikes, who had never previously heard of the endeavours of Matchless in this area, let alone laid their eyes upon any Matchless motorcycle clothing dating from the 1920s or 1930s. Similarly the new historical findings have surprised those interested in the history of motorcycle protective clothing, who’d previously been focused on things like the helmet, in the apparently mistaken belief that it was more important to safety than fashionable leather attire.
One of those most surprised by the new historical findings is author Bill Cakebread. Bill worked at the Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) factory that produced Matchless bikes, and has written books on the history of Matchless motorcycles and the Collier family that originally owned Matchless and AMC. Based on research to inform his new book The Matchless Colliers, Bill has had ‘direct contact with the descendants of the Collier family and access to their family archives’. Based on his research, Bill reports '...no record or memory of such clothing whatsoever...'[2] and observes that:
'It is strange that not one member of the Collier family nor any former employee has any knowledge of the Company's involvement in the manufacture, design or promotion of clothing of any kind. What is known of the protective clothing that they did use, e.g. crash helmets, was that it [was] bought in from outside suppliers.'[3]
Similarly, neither the Staffordshire-based Vintage Motor Cycle Club[4] (VMCC) nor the UK National Motorcycle Museum[5] have any records of Matchless motorcycle clothing catalogues in their archives.
Obviously, this makes the historical research undertaken by the new owners of the Matchless brand, for uncovering what no one else knew existed, all the more ground-breaking. The ‘Heritage’ section of the Matchless London website (cited above) even includes electronic examples of the extremely rare motorcycle clothing catalogues, dated 1927 and 1928, along with the information that ‘During the same period, Matchless developed a deep know-how of leather clothing, with specialities in clothing for motocycle [sic] racing’. Admittedly from here, the catalogues posted on the website look like nonsensical mock-ups, featuring random photographs (some from decades later) and including no details of actual items for sale or prices. In these parts, though, the ants and cockroaches often get into the electrics, so this could be the problem.
You might think the rarity of material and archival evidence supporting the claim to a protective clothing department at Matchless in the 1920s would have caused commentators to pause before elevating the claims of a fashion house to the realm of historical fact. Perhaps, for example, skeptical commentators might have cynically suspected that Matchless London was just inventing some tradition and authenticity that would help them sell overpriced clothing to impressionable, cashed-up fashion victims in places like London and Milan?
Fortunately for British industrial history, no such over-zealous fact-checking has waylaid commentators from the process of setting the record straight. And indeed, why go through the tedious process of visiting a boring, dimly lit, silverfish infested archive (in which you won’t even find the catalogue you’re after) when you can rely on such an august source as the ‘Heritage’ section of a fashion website?
Consequently, owing to such modern and efficient data verification approaches, the revised history of Matchless as an early manufacturer of motorcycle protective clothing has already been endorsed, confirmed and enshrined across a range of sources ranging from online motorcycling[6] and fashion[7] sites to a Routledge publication on ‘Sport in History’.[8]
Full marks to the Malenotti history team for achieving public recognition of the glorious sartorial truth about the hallowed Matchless brand, in the face of such a scarcity of evidence.
Notes
[1] Sighted 6 January 2017 at http://www.matchlesslondon.com/en/heritage/
[2] Email correspondence from Bill Cakebread dated 21 December 2016.
[3] Email correspondence from Bill Cakebread dated 12 January 2017.
[4] Email Correspondence from VMCC dated 14 December 2016.
[5] Email Correspondence from the UK National Motorcycle Museum dated 12 December 2016.
[6] See, for example (1) ‘Matchless sunglasses: “Only £299”’, Classic Bike News, July 2015. Sighted 10 January 2017 at http://www.sumpmagazine.com/classicbikenews/classic-bike-news-july-2015.htm and (2) Richard Newland, ‘Matchless is Back’, MCN / Motorcycle News, 8 September 2014. Sighted 10 January 2017 at http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new-bikes/2014/september/matchless-is-back/
[7] See, for example Shane C. Kurup, ‘Matchless Motorcycle Clothing’, Fashionbeans, 15 April 2013. Sighted 10 January 2017 at http://www.fashionbeans.com/2013/matchless-motorcycle-clothing/
[8] Jean Williams (2015), ‘Kit: fashioning the Sporting Body – Introduction to the Special Edition’, Sport in History [Routledge], 35:1, 1-18. Sighted 8 December 2016 at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17460263.2014.946956
Consequently, owing to such modern and efficient data verification approaches, the revised history of Matchless as an early manufacturer of motorcycle protective clothing has already been endorsed, confirmed and enshrined across a range of sources ranging from online motorcycling[6] and fashion[7] sites to a Routledge publication on ‘Sport in History’.[8]
Full marks to the Malenotti history team for achieving public recognition of the glorious sartorial truth about the hallowed Matchless brand, in the face of such a scarcity of evidence.
Notes
[1] Sighted 6 January 2017 at http://www.matchlesslondon.com/en/heritage/
[2] Email correspondence from Bill Cakebread dated 21 December 2016.
[3] Email correspondence from Bill Cakebread dated 12 January 2017.
[4] Email Correspondence from VMCC dated 14 December 2016.
[5] Email Correspondence from the UK National Motorcycle Museum dated 12 December 2016.
[6] See, for example (1) ‘Matchless sunglasses: “Only £299”’, Classic Bike News, July 2015. Sighted 10 January 2017 at http://www.sumpmagazine.com/classicbikenews/classic-bike-news-july-2015.htm and (2) Richard Newland, ‘Matchless is Back’, MCN / Motorcycle News, 8 September 2014. Sighted 10 January 2017 at http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new-bikes/2014/september/matchless-is-back/
[7] See, for example Shane C. Kurup, ‘Matchless Motorcycle Clothing’, Fashionbeans, 15 April 2013. Sighted 10 January 2017 at http://www.fashionbeans.com/2013/matchless-motorcycle-clothing/
[8] Jean Williams (2015), ‘Kit: fashioning the Sporting Body – Introduction to the Special Edition’, Sport in History [Routledge], 35:1, 1-18. Sighted 8 December 2016 at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17460263.2014.946956
