--- product_id: 56486114 title: "The Strange Death of the British Motorcycle Industry" price: "FREE" currency: USD in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/56486114-the-strange-death-of-the-british-motorcycle-industry store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # The Strange Death of the British Motorcycle Industry **Price:** FREE **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Strange Death of the British Motorcycle Industry - **How much does it cost?** FREE with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/56486114-the-strange-death-of-the-british-motorcycle-industry) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The British motor cycle industry once stood ‘at the top level of world production’. BSA, Ariel, Norton, Triumph, Matchless and Vincent led the world in design, technology, and popularity. After 1945, when the German industry failed to develop, British bikes continued to be untouchable both on the racetrack and in the showroom.Then it all began to go horribly wrong. Lucrative overseas markets began to decline, and foreign scooters tore into the UK market. At the same time, rates of motorcycle accidents rose and many British consumers were deciding to buy cars instead of two-wheelers.Finally there came a whirlwind from the East, as fierce competition arrived from innovative, sophisticated and more mechanically reliable Japanese machines. By the early 1970s, with alarming rapidity, the British motor cycle industry had all but disappeared. Review: The best and most comprehensive work ever written on this subject. - Firstly I have to condemn the words of the reviewer who rated this book as poor due to its lack of anecdotes and the detailed description of various motorcycle models. This has been done to death by many others including the motorcycle press. There are far too many 'anecdotes' and myths surrounding the crisis this industry found itself in. These myths often become accepted fact in the repeated telling (At present a notable and long serving motorcycle journalist is pandering the myth that Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele were not friends and that Doug Hele told him that he had no respect for Hopwood, this is a blatant lie and is in direct contradiction even Doug Hele’s much published opinions - it is easy to make up stories when the protagonists are dead) Mr Koerner has produced a work of such academic clarity that shows just how much damage the anecdote tellers have done. This book, is the first complete bringing together of all the core materials to form a coherent whole I have ever read. Since I have read most if not all the other attempts to tell this story, I can say this with some conviction. This book is an excellent and proper source of a real and complex tragedy brought on by so may factors. Well done Mr Koerner. Review: An outstanding book - This book is based on the Ph.D. dissertation of the author. It is a very comprehensive study of the decline to near extinction of a once worldwide leading industry. The author used many primary sources, such as government documents, company accounts and the records of the Motor Cycle Industry Association. It gives a clear picture of the history of the motorcycle industry and contains also interesting statistics. It covers many aspects from the technical side up to the changing immage of motorcycling. It is exhaustively researched. The reader gets a very clear picture of the relevant circumstances leading to the death of the once great british motorcycle industry. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 2,305,402 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 1,827 in Motorcycle References 3,117 in Automobile Engineering 13,299 in Business & Economic History | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 53 Reviews | ## Images ![The Strange Death of the British Motorcycle Industry - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71gt6A-FyqL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The best and most comprehensive work ever written on this subject. *by B***N on 12 June 2017* Firstly I have to condemn the words of the reviewer who rated this book as poor due to its lack of anecdotes and the detailed description of various motorcycle models. This has been done to death by many others including the motorcycle press. There are far too many 'anecdotes' and myths surrounding the crisis this industry found itself in. These myths often become accepted fact in the repeated telling (At present a notable and long serving motorcycle journalist is pandering the myth that Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele were not friends and that Doug Hele told him that he had no respect for Hopwood, this is a blatant lie and is in direct contradiction even Doug Hele’s much published opinions - it is easy to make up stories when the protagonists are dead) Mr Koerner has produced a work of such academic clarity that shows just how much damage the anecdote tellers have done. This book, is the first complete bringing together of all the core materials to form a coherent whole I have ever read. Since I have read most if not all the other attempts to tell this story, I can say this with some conviction. This book is an excellent and proper source of a real and complex tragedy brought on by so may factors. Well done Mr Koerner. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An outstanding book *by D***R on 15 May 2013* This book is based on the Ph.D. dissertation of the author. It is a very comprehensive study of the decline to near extinction of a once worldwide leading industry. The author used many primary sources, such as government documents, company accounts and the records of the Motor Cycle Industry Association. It gives a clear picture of the history of the motorcycle industry and contains also interesting statistics. It covers many aspects from the technical side up to the changing immage of motorcycling. It is exhaustively researched. The reader gets a very clear picture of the relevant circumstances leading to the death of the once great british motorcycle industry. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ So good I bought it twice *by D***D on 28 February 2014* This looked like a interesting book and when it arrived I discovered that I had already bought and read it.It was interesting to discover that many problems of the British Motor Cycle were probably caused as much by its success as its failures .The answer seems much more complicated than the fairly transparent troubles in the British Motor Industry in the 1960s and 70s --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/56486114-the-strange-death-of-the-british-motorcycle-industry](https://www.desertcart.us/products/56486114-the-strange-death-of-the-british-motorcycle-industry) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-12*