1959 Matchless 350GC Trials, Ex John Surtees, CBE. Registrat...

Estimate

£3,500 - £4,000

1959 Matchless 350GC Trials, Ex John Surtees, CBE. Registration Number 279EKE. Frame Number C8511. Engine Number59/G3C 2038. Gearbox Number M18447.
Sold with current V5C and two copy archive photographs of John Surtees riding the bike.
Using designs evolved from the wartime G3 model, AMC were a dominant force in the UK trials arena during the post war period.
Famous works riders Artie Radcliffe and Ted Usher for Matchless, and Hugh Viney and Gordon Jackson for AJS could regularly be seen winning national events, which promoted the popularity of the company's products at clubman level.
The lighter, sweet handling 350 was more popular than the punchier but less nimble 500 with both works riders and amateurs alike.
John Surtees was a renowned British Motorcycle and Formula One driver. He remains the only competitor to win World Championships at the highest level on both two and four wheels.
John was a good friend of AMC competition boss Hugh Viney, who had previously supplied him with an AJS bike directly from the factory.
When the new "Works Replica" trials model was announced, John went straight to Hugh to have bike supplied to his own specification.
The main variation was the fitting of the higher-revving "short stroke" scrambler type engine, with hotter camshafts.
This was evidently inspired by his friend Gordon Jacksons success on a similar specified machine. The archive pictures included in the sale show Jon riding the bike at two different local trials meetings c.1959, thought to be in the Kent area.
"EKE" remains essentially the same matching numbers machine, but has subsequently been further refined with a high level exhaust, alloy silencer and oil tank, and a red alloy fuel tank, complete with "Monza" style filler cap.
Additionally there are alloy brake plates, and the fork bridge castings have been removed, presumably to enable the front mudguard to be raised easily in muddy conditions.