The history of the club

image showing some of the club's members

Fred Pinhard

The organising impetus of our founding genius, Fred Pinhard, was quickly felt and various Sunbeam events began to emerge.

It was six years into the Club’s existence (in 1930) when the first Pioneer Run was organised and in the period that followed the Club had become one of the most active and respected of the many motorcycle clubs throughout the country. Famous members included TT winner Graham Walker, record breaker Eric Fernihough, the Heath brothers and Major George Hole.

Before 1930, events that were organised included a Brooklands Race meeting, the Sunbeam 200 (a 200 mile night trial) and the Underhay Cup Trail.

Fred Pinhard and his enthusiastic team maintained the Club's momentum throughout the 1930's. In fact these were the halcyon years for the Sunbeam Club.

The Gatwick Sprints became extremely popular events, largely dominated by the breath-taking performances of Eric Fernihough who by then was also the Motorcycle World Speed Record holder. Also, the Sunbeam 200 secured a position as one of the country's major reliability trials.

The Pioneer Run

This immediately established itself as the premier event for pre-1915 veteran machines. However the start was moved from the 1930 venue at Croydon Aerodrome. firstly to the railway yard at Tattenham Corner, Epsom, then to Weybridge for 1936 and finally back to Tattenham Corner. Just for once in 1954 it was also started from Westminster, but the finish has usually been on Madeira Drive, Brighton, but one-off finishes were Peacehaven, Sussex and Paris!

To ensure that all machines taking part are genuine veterans, a register of all such machines was started in 1938, and only those machines on the register became eligible to enter the event, with a dating committee formed to check authenticity of machines going on the register. The Pioneer Register quickly became a major information source for pre-1915 motorcycles.

Speed Events

At the June 1931 committee meeting it was agreed to hold speed trials on a road at the Gatwick horse racing course, starting at 2.30pm on the 12th September. The event was open to members, with invitations sent to local motorcycle and light car clubs and catered for motorcycles, three wheelers and cars up to 850cc.

The course at Gatwick was a narrow tree-lined private approach road leading to the grand stand. It consisted of half a mile of dead straight tarred road.

During their time at Gatwick, The Sunbeam Club put on a total of 19 events, averaging two per year and a total of 4500 timed runs. The last sprint was in May 1939 when the nearby Gatwick Aerodrome was requisitioned by the Air Ministry for RAF use.

There was in fact one final event at Gatwick, which was at the aerodrome itself on 4th July 1940, but the only time the course was available was between 6.00am and 7,45am! The event was a trial race meeting, aimed at assessing the nine-tenths of a mile for future racing, it was never repeated, and the Sunbeam Club ran sprints at Ramsgate in the 1950's and 1960's.

Too Many Events?

During the 1930's the Sunbeam Club recognised that two problems were emerging owing to the abundance of trials events that were being organised by the many motor-cycle clubs.

Firstly, event results depended so very much on having reliable marshals and observers to control and administer sections of the trial and secondly, some areas were being used so regularly that local residents were beginning to object. After World War 2 a unique band of unselfish volunteers was formed - The Sunbeam Observer Corps - for up to 38 of the year's 52 weekends, this dedicated group offered their services free of charge to all motorcycle trial organisers, and soon became highly respected experts, this service continued right into the late 1960's.

To solve the problem of the over-use of 'popular' sections, the Sunbeam Club took the initiative by suggesting the formation of The Star Group in the home counties SW of London, which began to impose a co-ordination of dates and routes in the affected areas, under the auspices of the ACU. The club is still actively involved with The Star Group, and annually runs one of the events in the Championship series - The Gordon Jackson Trial.

Sunbeam won The Star Group Award for the club accruing the most points in the series in the years 1950 to 1956 (seven in a row) plus 1987, 1989 and 1992, and 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The Star Group exemplifies keen rivalry between the competing clubs, carried out in a fair and friendly manner with a truly sporting attitude.

The Greybeards Trial was launched on 3rd September 1959. It was restricted to riders who had competed in trials before World War Two, the event was an unqualified success and needless to say it became an annual fixture. Over the years as entries began to dwindle the eligibility was changed, and entries accepted from riders over 40 years of age.

"Always Ahead"

In 1930, a speech by Graham Walker, Chairman and later President, at the annual dinner, claimed the club's motto was "Always Ahead" believing that the club was at the forefront of arousing motorcycle interest.

...Still as Active as Ever. New Ground, in more recent years.

As well as maintaining traditions, the Sunbeam MCC has broken new ground in organising the week-long event for pre-1931 machines. This event is based at one of the halls of residence at Aberystwyth University and caters for up to 50 motorcyclists and their partners. It has attained an enviable 'homely' reputation.

Other events added to the calendar are the highly successful Garden of England Run, based at Headcorn Airfield in Kent. The New Conyboro Run at Chiddingly in Sussex followed closely as a popular one day event. Further afield is the Graham Walker Memorial Run, centred at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire, and the Rose of the Shires Run based at Stoke Bruerne, Northants.

Additionally there are two, three day bi-annual residential events - the Warwickshire weekend and the Shropshire Mid-week break offering riding in picturesque parts of England. Two new events for pre 1931 machines are to be organised in 2008, the Constable Run in East Anglia and an event for veterans only starting outside Stratford on Avon and finishing at Brackley, Northants called the Sunbeam September Challenge for Pioneer motorcycles.

On the sporting trials side, four events are organised annually - The Gordon Jackson Trial, The Dick Little British Bike Trial, in memory of Dick who was such a tyro as trials secretary. The Greybeards Trial for over 40's comes with a great social atmosphere, and The Southern Experts for very skilled riders.

The celebrated its 70th birthday in 1994 and again in 1999 for its 75th anniversary with events for various disciplines and a grand picnic enjoyed by many.

A Tribute to some Sunbeam stalwarts

Recognition must be accorded to Lt. Col 'Tiny' Ayers, for when he joined the committee in 1981 the club was not well managed and finances were in a sorry state. It was through 'Tinys' stewardship and later Chairmanship, that the finances were put on a progressive footing. In addition, his organisation of the Pioneer Run between 1982 and 1997 assisted and encouraged by his wife Marjorie, our current President, has both preserved and improved the premier event.

To Ralph Venables MBE, who made a sizeable loan with no strings attached during the CIub's financial 'dark years'- also from the 1930's to the 1960's for his outstanding organisation of some hundreds of the club's events.

To Dick Little for his enthusiasm as Trials Secretary from the 1970's to the turn of the century. He was also Club Secretary and later became President.

To Ray Newton, who applied his technical ability to vastly upgrade the Club News from a monthly couple of Roneod sheets in 1985 to a very professional bi?monthly magazine which in itself has greatly improved the standing and membership, Ray edited the news for some 8 years and performed the technical side for 20 years.

Amongst the many famous sporting riders of the past a more recent name is trials ace Gordon Jackson who rode for the club for a number of years and was also Club Captain.

Today, more than 80 years later... The Sunbeam Club is proud to:

We shall continue to organise numerous events for veteran, vintage, classic and modern sporting trials motorcycles. Strangely over the many years of club events, the weather seems to shine down on the club with dire weather on either side of the event referred to as "Sunbeam" weather, long may it continue.