AJS (GB) Buses 1922-1930c

Not Popularly known and new to myself AJS built Buses:

Below is Reference to correspondance being recieved to Nick Baldwins Column Commerically Speaking in the British Vintage magazine The Automobile and the text is taken pretty much word for word as quote


On Bus discovered +history of manufacture
See: The Automobile (GB) 1984 APRIL page 63 vol 2 issue 2
The text

"Commercial corner; a letter from Recorder and Historian of AJS and Matchless Owners Club asks us if we have information on AJS Buses and coaches in particular the lone surivor in Great Witley; Worcestershire.

He tells us this was acquired by a group of West Midlands enthusists 7 years ago; since then it has vanished and he would very much like to hear from the owners.

We recall looking at the AJS but coming to the conclusion that through interesting very little was original it had been rebodied (although only a half cab portion survived) and it was re-engined and radiatored by courtesy of Leyland ; on fact the original AJS Pilot and Commodore chassis are some thing of a mystey.

Coventry Climax once told me they had copied Lycoming engines for the contract but my gasket catalogue of the time makes no reference to either type (except the little SM Type former Swift for 9hp AJS car, the famous motorcycle firm diversified desperately and without mich success in the Great Slump) the gasket list meations Meadows 6EN in the Pilot and reference to notes made of Meadows records as the Guy factory years ago shows AJS bought 125 gearbox in 1929 and 24 in 1930; Engines postively identified as having been sold to AJS included 1 in 1922; 1 on 1928 and 43 in 1929.

The first was small car type 4 but the others were 2973cc 25hp 6s similar to those used by Invicta ; larger 36hp engines were used in the Commodore and an engine of right dimensions is listed under Lycoming (dimensions are similar to one got at by Coventry Climax; 98 times 127mm and 98.5mm times 127mm engined Admiral rated at 36bhp ; rumor has it that Coventry Climax also copied Lycoming engines for Gilford but stuck to inch threads to make parts interchangeable with previously imported engines.

Assuming that the same type of Meadows gearbox was used on all models thought that less then 150 AJS buses and coaches were made ; apart from the Moores one on the Great Witley we hear that one was run by Grimsby Corporation into the 1950s ; bodies were built by D & E Petty of Hitchin and amongst their customers for complete AJS vehicles were Midland Bus Services of Airdale ; Lancashire and Yorkshire Motors ; Kingsclere Coaches; Elite of Hertfordshire ; Primrose Coaches; Epress of Grays and aptly named AJS Motor Services of Rayleigh ; included in the column were black and white photo of 6 AJS Pilot rolling chassis outside the factory AJS had built in better times in the grounds of Graiseley House; Wolverhampton - quote verbatium (bw photo shows Ref 076 LX at the front; 039LY as 2nd ; more hard to read) " Quote from the text