DAVIDW 1,690 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 The hoard of classic Broughs made £750,000 at auction ! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-36129038 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
siddha 825 Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Incredible to think what is lying about in old forgotten barns, sheds and garages. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,479 Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Next time you see a few bits of rusty metal lying in a ditch or stream, take a closer look at the maker's name. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 963 Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 It will be great to see a rare and beautiful Brough SS 100 motorcycle at Newark's civil war centre but I can't recall, was it the Royalists or Parliamentarians that had the motorcycles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,479 Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 The Brough Superior building through the old railway bridge, with the entrance to the station on the left. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I well remember going up that path to the left on the way home from Mellish to catch the train to Daybrook Station. A four minute journey! As for the George Brough factory on Haydn Road I was instrumental in the demolition of that one and even the modern warehouse I replaced it with has now been demolished for houses. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 The other day I had a good look at the SS100 that's currently on show at the Newark Civil War Museum. A barn find from Sao Poalo, the restoration is absolutely superb. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,479 Posted July 27, 2022 Report Share Posted July 27, 2022 £115,000 for one of Mr Brough's machines. https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/brough+superior/680+ohv/ac7f5811-ac8d-6851-8304-46369ca8cba3 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeverilPeril 3,286 Posted July 27, 2022 Report Share Posted July 27, 2022 C1964 I called on Brough Eng in my position as a special steel rep. They were not building motor bikes and just doing general engineering and a bit run down. My reports said 'no potential'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MRS B 532 Posted July 27, 2022 Report Share Posted July 27, 2022 I can remember my brothers talking about Brough. One of them did his engineering apprenticeship and quals at BSA in Birmingham and then went on to have his own garage Route 66 in Stoke. Sadly he is no longer with us but always was greased up with oil. He was once on his way to a wedding and stopped en route to help someone who had broken down. You can guess what state he turned up at the wedding like, bless him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,479 Posted August 16, 2023 Report Share Posted August 16, 2023 An estimate of £240,000 for a Brough bike. You could buy almost all of Bulwell for that. https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/brough+superior/ss100/de46bf85-e9b5-64e9-be9d-1007efeea487 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,310 Posted August 16, 2023 Report Share Posted August 16, 2023 My father used to make exhausts for Brough Superior. Stainless steel, believe. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted August 16, 2023 Report Share Posted August 16, 2023 My company used to own George Brough's Haydn Rd. factory which I subsequently demolished to build an modern warehouse. We did have a visit from the Brough owner's club prior to demolition. There are houses on the site now. It was opposite Quorn Rd. and the Meridian games field. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IAN FINN 817 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 My dad worked at Brough Superior i think it was in Basford he told me that Lawrence of Arabia brought a Brough motorcycle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 I’ve seen a photograph somewhere of Lawrence of Arabia collecting his Brough from the the Haydn Rd factory. The only artefact left after the demolition was the petrol pump which we gave to the Industrial Museum at Wollaton Park 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Pianoman 1,535 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 T E Lawrence had a number of Broughs apparently. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,310 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 6 hours ago, IAN FINN said: My dad worked at Brough Superior i think it was in Basford he told me that Lawrence of Arabia brought a Brough motorcycle. I believe T E died whilst riding a Brough Superior. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 493 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 This is Lawrence collecting one of his 7 Broughs, 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 That's the one I recall. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 The previous owners of the Brough works and the adjoining and much larger factory were Cooper Brothers, hosiery manufacturers. My old firm bought the whole site in around 1968. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 493 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 Not a very good picture, from 1949, Brough factory under the blue indicator Cooper Bros to the right against the railway. Don't know if Brough were still there at this time or whether they'd moved to Vernon Road. 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 That picture incorporates the whole of our factory site. We subsequently bought the adjoining railway site to the right and built another factory on that. We sold the company in 1997. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,733 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 I only ever recall being conscious of the factory on Vernon Rd. It was easily seen due to the company name painted on the roof. I never 'clocked' the Haydn Rd works, but unsurprising as I rarely needed to go along that section between Hucknall Rd and Nottm Rd. Did they ever 'co-exist' or was one a replacement for the other? My Mum worked at one or the other during WW2, though I don't think she lasted long due to being unable to cope with night shifts. She'd be 16 in 1939. I think she said it was 'munitions' work. What she described sounds like 'Turret', or 'Capstan' Lathe work. For the uninitiated, and according to my fairly scant knowledge, both Capstan and Turret lathes are used for 'batch' or 'mass' production of components. They need to be set up by a skilled person, but once set up, can be used by a semi skilled operative, to perform several actions on one piece of material (usually metal) which are in effect 'mechanically programmed' into the machine.. to produce a component. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,733 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 P.S. It seems to me that both Brough and Vincent motorcycles suffered from the general increase in car ownership. Basically, if you could afford a 'premium' bike like a Brough or Vincent, then you could probably afford a second hand car. As such, the wealthier population switched from 'premium bikes', to cars and bike users generally became younger 'enthusiasts', rather than just users from 'necessity'. I think it might also be the case that as beautifully engineered as the Broughs and Vincents were.. they didn't keep up technologically and couldn't compete with the sales of the likes of Triumph, Norton, BSA and AJS, whose success on the race track promoted sales to the 'Boy Racers' Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,187 Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 I think it probably co existed with the site on Vernon Rd. There was another factory on Greasley St. I believe Spitfire engines were built at the Haydn Rd. site during the war. As I recollect it occupied around 4000 sq. ft. Looking at the aerial view we also owned the semi detached houses to the left of the picture fronting Haydn Rd. The houses in the centre were demolished and turned into a parking area. I only found out subsequently we should have applied for planning permission to do that! . 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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