Not that he needs any kind of envoy or high-ranking diplomat to proclaim his deeds, but Sammy Millar has got himself an Ambassador!
Of course, it isn’t any kind of diplomatic assignment, but a 1953 Ambassador motorcycle, utilising a 197cc Villiers power unit, and complete with plunger back end, MP forks and valanced guards.
1953 was the first year that the company made motorcycles with electric starts, although it had been producing bikes since 1946, after Irish world record-breaking car and speedboat racer (and star of Brooklands) Kaye Don retired from road racing.
Initially, Don was focused on importing cars from America, but he soon started with his first bike, using a parallel twin JAP engine, although within a year the bikes were using smaller powerplants from Villiers.
Ambassador was taken over by DMW in 1963, which then closed production two years later.
Read more News and Features at www.oldbikemart.co.uk and in the October 2020 issue of Old Bike Mart – on sale now!
