AJS G4 350

AMENDMENT: THIS IS A G4 MODEL, NOT A G7 AS PREVIOUSLY STATED.

Joe Stevens from Wolverhampton built engines from 1897 but it was his sons Harry, George, Jack and Joe who produced the first complete AJS machines at their father’s Stevens Screw Company factory from 1909.

Their 350cc model was one of the first English machines designed to incorporate an overhead valve configuration. Having produced some of the earliest sporting machines, they were quickly drawn into competition and racing with innovative ohv and ohc designs, achieving many racing successes.

However the austere times of the late 20s caused financial troubles for many British manufacurers, including AJS, who were forced to sell out to Matchless in 1931. Following the sale, the manufacture of AJS motorcycles moved from the Black Country to London and their individuality was lost as the two makes, Matchless and AJS, became a badge engineering exercise where two machines were produced in almost identical form but with different badging and paintwork.

The machine offered here comes from the original AJS factory in Wolverhampton and is a G4 model (G being the year and 4 relating to the 350cc sidevalve engine) which appears to have matching engine and frame numbers as well as period lighting and speedometer.

Dating from 1927 it will be a suitable mount for vintage events such as the Banbury Run where the cut-off date is 1931. Coming from a private collection, it represents a good opportunity to acquire a nicely patinated example of a machine capable of keeping up reasonably well with modern traffic.