OEC 750 V-Twin JAP

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The OEC name comes from the Osborn Engineering Company founded in 1901 by Frederick Osborn.

The first machines used Minerva and MMC engines. There was an interruption in production during the First World War when the engineering side of the business was given over to war production. In 1920 Frederick's son John took the helm and began to manufacture machines again from the old United Aircraft factory in Gosport, Hampshire, using proprietary Blackburne engines to produce the OEC-Blackburne.

Possibly because of their remoteness from the mainstream motorcycle producers and possibly because of their gifted technician, Fred Wood, OEC came up with some novel designs. Although this gifted to their detractors the nickname "Odd Engineering Contraptions".

The duplex steering system developed in 1930 was sufficiently stable to enable Joe Wright to achieve a speed of 137.3mph on a duplex-steering OEC equipped with a supercharged 85bhp 996cc V twin JAP-engined machine. It was this design that found its way onto the production models, these ranging from small Villiers-engined machines, Blackburne engines from 173cc to 998cc and JAP in 678cc, 746cc and 998cc in both side valve and OHV engines.

OEC returned to the fold once more after World War Two, producing more conventional lightweight motorcycles with both Villiers and Brockhouse Brave engines before disappearing from the catalogues in 1954.

The machine on offer today was first registered on 1st January 1931 and while technically it would appear to be too late for inclusion in vintage events (which must be manufactured before 1931) common sense suggests it must have been made before its registration date and therefore would be eligible.

It is a 750cc side valve JAP engine model which was last MOTd in 1982 and last run in year 2000. It has been in single family ownership for over 60 years, having belonged to the father of the vendor for as long as he can remember.

Still bearing its Leicestershire registration of JF 1559, it is believed to be a highly correct and original machine other than the fitment of later silencers. As most people will never have even heard of OEC, let alone seen one of its products, this is an exceedingly rare opportunity to acquire a most unusual and fascinating model from a talented but obscure manufacturer.

AMENDMENT: On the eve of the sale we were contacted by a historian of the OEC marque who states that the engine and gearbox fitted are not original and probably date from the late 1930s. The original engine would have been a KOZ JAP 500 twin port OHV unit. The handlebars and exhausts are also later fitments but the rest of the machine is correct for a 1930/31 model (frame, forks, tank, mudguards, wheels etc).