Greeves 24TFS & John Surtees 1965 motorcycle racing photo auto racing legend

Description

A superb and rare photo of the magnificent
John Surtees
on an equally magnificent 246cc
Greeves 24
TFS
trial machine. The negative dates from the
1965
. Surtees’ Greeves 24
TFS
carries the English license plate number HPU 124 B, the photo shows great detail of this wonderful trial machine.
Born in Tatsfield,
Surrey
,
John Surtees
was the son of a south
London
motorcycle dealer. He had his first professional outing in the sidecar of his father's Vincent, which they won. However, when race officials discovered Surtees' age, they were disqualified. He entered his first race at
15 in
a grass track competition. In 1950, when he was 16, he joined Vincent as an apprentice; whilst with them he bought his first car, a Jowett Jupiter. He made his first headlines in 1951 when he gave Norton star Geoff Duke a strong challenge in an ACU race at the Thruxton Circuit. In 1955, Norton race chief Joe Craig gave Surtees his first factory sponsored ride aboard the Nortons. He finished the year by beating reigning world champion Duke at Silverstone and then at Brands Hatch. With Norton in financial trouble and uncertain about their racing plans, Surtees accepted an offer to race MV Agustas. In 1956 Surtees would win the 500cc world championship. In this he was assisted by the FIM's decision to ban Geoff Duke for 6 months because of his support for a rider's strike over more start money. In the 1957 season, the MV Agustas were no match for the Gileras and Surtees battled to a third place finish. When Gilera and Moto Guzzi pulled out of Grand Prix racing at the end of 1957, Surtees and MV Agusta went on to dominate the competition in the two big classes. In 1958, 1959 and 1960, he would win 32 out of 39 races and became the first man to win the Senior Isle of Man TT three years in succession. At age 26, Surtees switched from motorcycles to cars, full time in 1960 making his Formula 1 debut racing for Lotus in the Monaco Grand Prix in
Monte Carlo
. He made an immediate impact with a second place finish in only his second Formula One race at the 1960 British Grand Prix and a pole position at his third race in the 1960 Portuguese Grand Prix. After spending the 1961 season with the Cooper racing team and the 1962 season with the Lola team, he moved to Ferrari in 1963 and won the world championship for the Italian team in 1964. Surtees parted company with Ferrari during the 1966 season after winning the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix, citing excessive pressure as a factor, leaving Jack Brabham to take the Drivers' Championship. In 1967, he joined Honda's Formula 1 team. He stayed with the Japanese team for 1968 before switching to BRM. In 1970, he formed his own race team, Surtees Racing Organisation and spent nine seasons competing in Formula 5000, Formula 2 and Formula 1 as a constructor. He retired from competition in 1972, the same year the team had their greatest success when Mike Hailwood won the European Formula 2 championship. The team was finally disbanded at the end of 1978.
The British motorcycle manufacturer
Greeves
was founded by O.B. (Bert) Greeves MBE as an offshoot of the Invacar company, they began production in 1952 at Thundersley, Essex. The bikes exclusively used 2 stroke engines sourced from from Villiers Engineering and British Anzani. Gearboxes were supplied by Albion Motors, later replaced by their own designs from 1964 forward. The lightweight high powered package made them successful in the trials market place against Triumph and BSA models. In 1957 Greeves signed motocross rider Brian Stonebridge, and started competing in the European Motocross Championship. After the death of Stonebridge, Greeves signed Dave Bickers who won the 1960 and 1961 championship. The company went on to win the Manx Grand Prix, the European Trials Championship and the Scottish Six Day Trial, taking Gold medals in the ISDT and the ACU 250cc Road Race. Greeves began producing lightweight road machines, and by 1962 there were eleven models. The offroad motorcycles also developed through an association with Queen's University Belfast producing the later Greeves QUB model. As the Japanese entered the market place - Suzuki dominated the European Championships from 1970 to 1973 - sales began to slow. Combined with a down turn in trade for Invacar and a disastrous fire, the company floundered in 1976 and went into receivership. As Greeves machines aged, they were ideal for the new "classic" class of trials. However, parts were scarce and expensive, and Richard Deal started producing replica parts, and then a replica motorcycle called the Anglian. In May 1999, after gaining control of the trademarks of the Greeves name in the
UK
,
USA
and
Europe
, a new Greeves company was founded in
Chelmsford
which restarted production of mainly trials models.
We have more photos listed on Ebay, also motorcycle (racing) photos! Check them out and use the shipping discount! You can always contact us for any requests.
This is your rare chance to own this non period photo that reflects a very interesting and historic piece of motorcycle and Greeves history. Therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 10" (ca. 20 x
25 cm
).
Contact us for more Greeves and other motorcycle images and use the shipping discount!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you buy.   For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files
and board backed envelopes.
We have photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and excellent quality.
After many decades of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.