G5 production numbers

[Rob Harknett]

They were not so confusing in the prewar years Colin, I have information dating cars from 1931 onwards. Which for example it states;
year Oct 1933, seris 1934.
October being when they would had been available at the motor show. But with the bikes you have to remember the model year spilts the calender year, model year being e.g. 1950 model production Sept 1st 1949 to Aug 31st 1950.

[Rob Harknett]

They were not so confusing in the prewar years Colin, I have info dating cars from 1931 onwards, which states, for example; Year Oct. 1933
seris 1934, Oct. 1933 being when the new 1934 models would had been avaiable at the 1933 motor show.

[les ward]

As Rob says the AMC production year started in the September of the previous year. When Bacon gives the engine number for 1959 as 500, this was actually the start of the 1960 bikes in September 1959. When he gives 2237 as the 1960 figure, this was actually the September 1960 start of the 1961 production year. Because there was no 1962 production run he doesn't give an engine number for September 1961.

The highest engine number I could find was just over 3500, so given a start number of 500, John Allen's figure looks pretty accurate. In the past I have spent hours searching the factory records and I always found John's figures accurate, but he always said he may be a few out.

[Rob Harknett]

Looks like they were still off loading a few 1961 models during 1962 then Les, as they did not declare the models concerned discontinued to the media, untill July 1962,

[Rob Harknett]

There is a VMCC listed AJS 62/8 3284 Frame no. 10494 Les.
Machines produced are sometimes a bit of a guess, if you check some listings theres more engine numbers allocated than frames numbers.
Spare engines perhaps ?? Numbers given are sometimes found to be overlapped, backwards or forwards, if you are really keen you can discover gaps, Like the first 250 lightweight Matchless engine, that did not appear to match a frame no.. Perhaps thats the one they cut up for a cut away demo engine at the show when the new model was introduced. Which I believe is now at Kettering HQ.

[les ward]

Oops ! Sorry got that wrong. There are 1962 models, but I missed a year out quoting the Bacon figures. I meant to say there were no 1963 models. I'd just got in from work when I answered and got it wrong typing too quickly. It's the 1962 engine numbers that go up to about 3500.

[Tolly]

Just to add to this thread, my G5 was first registered in April 1963. It has engine No 61-2364 so I assume was manufactured in 1961 and the frame No 10730, this seems a fairly early machine to me but left in the showroom for a couple of years before being sold.

[les ward]

When i was machine dating officer I helped reclaim the reg number of a 1960/ 61 era Leightweight that wasn't registered until 1967. Towards the end Pride and Clarke were taking bulk deliveries of Lightweights presumably heavily discounted to raise money for the factory from unsold machines.

[cbranni]

There is a VMCC listed AJS 62/8 3284 Frame no. 10494

So if my VMCC listed G5 engine is 61/G5 3422 why is the frame number 14629 if you compare it with the above numbers, there doesn't seem to be any correlation (if thats the right word) between numbers.
I'm not concerned about numbers, just interested or maybe boredom........... being confined to bed this week with man flu

[Rob Harknett]

Don't worry Les, you are allowed to make little mistakes without being put down for doing so. That way someone who may not had bothered will correct it. As for bikes being registered some time after the manufacturing date. this can happen, sometimes with quite a long gap. As for some strange numbers that do not appear to be correct, could be an error, from years ago plenty have been found, so dont worry too much. Just let it go, more hassel trying to correct thatn its worth. I got a bike Mot'd not so long ago, I had not noticed the previous MoT man had not looked on the old MoT for frame no. He had looked on the bike and entered the engine number.