One of the roughest ISDT (International Six Day Trial) races takes place. At the Isle of Man, inclement weather is partly to blame for only 82 out of 299 riders finishing, with no American riders getting past Day Three. The first ISDT American club team in 1961 was Lloyld Lingelbach, Jim Brunson and Bud Ekins. Bud was on a 650cc Triumph while both Lloyd and Jim were on 246cc Greeves.
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The original Greeves company was founded by Bert Greeves. One morning while Bert Greeves was mowing the lawn of his home in Worcestershire, West Midlands, he had the idea of fitting the lawnmower engine to his disabled cousin's wheelchair and-BAM!- the Invacar was invented. Soon Invacar Ltd was set up and won a major contract to provide motorized three-wheeled invalid vehicles to the UK Government Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.
Encouraged by his disabled cousin Derry Preston-Cobb and by the success of his Invacar, Bert decided to diversify into motorcycle production. Known as a very capable trials rider in his spare time and also as a collector of vintage motorcycles he thought he could produce a bike that would not only sell but, compete.
Preston-Cobb was made Sales Manager for the motorcycle business and they started with three models, a scrambler, a three speed road bike and a four-speed version. At the 1954 Earls Court Show, they also launched the 'Fleetwing', a two-cylinder two-stroke with a 242 cc British Anzani engine developed from the same as those used for motor boats and featuring a crankshaft with a hollow midsection that acted as a rotary inlet valve. With a top speed of just 61 mph, the Fleetwing continued in production until 1956 when the stock of British Anzani engines was finally exhausted. The Fleetwing name was brought back in 1957, however, it was fitted with a 249cc Villiers engine. This was more powerful than the earlier Fleetwing and now had a top speed of 70 mph. Albion Engineering Co. of Birmingham, supplied the gearboxes ( Greeves would later replace them with one of their own designs from 1964 forward). The lightweight high powered package made them successful in the trials market place against Triumph and BSA models.
But, the '70's came and saw Suzuki dominating the European Championships and soon sales began to slow. They were successful in winning an important order to supply the Royal Artillery Motorcycle Display Team with motorcycles and developed the 'Greeves Griffons' motocross model, but a change in the law meant that the Invacar, which had been the mainstay of the company was no longer legal for road use so the Ministry of Pensions decided to replace it with a four-wheeled car. Wise decision, I might add. Bert Greeves decided that it was time to retire and after a fire at the factory they were unable to resume production and went into receivership in 1976.
Oscar Bertram Greeves was appointed MBE in 1972, in recognition of the work he had done for the disabled through Invacar.
