HUNDREDS of bike enthusiasts will descend on the Suffolk Showground this weekend for the annual Copdock show and two bikes only ever made in Ipswich look set to be the star attractions.
HUNDREDS of bike enthusiasts will descend on the Suffolk Showground this weekend for the annual Copdock show and two bikes only ever made in Ipswich look set to be the star attractions.
The man responsible for acquiring the bikes and preparing them for the show is Bucklesham bike buff Mark Daniels. A keen member of the National Auto-cycle and Cycle-motor club (NACC), Mr Daniels, of Levington Lane, has spent many years researching the history of the Ostler and the Stella – the only two motorbikes ever made in Ipswich.
His hard work has paid off as he will now be exhibiting examples of both bikes on the NACC stand.
The Ostler Mini-auto was made by Craftsmanship Models in Norfolk Road, Ipswich in 1948. Its designer Dick Ostler claimed that the 28cc bike could reach speeds of up to 20mph.
Mr Daniels, 48, explained: "We are exhibiting 15 bikes on the NACC stand but the real star of the show in terms of local interest will be the Ostler.
"It is difficult to know how many exist as they sold all the bits of the motor individually so people could put it together themselves. He did not sell a great deal though and they were mostly bought by model enthusiasts."
"It is the epitome of old English eccentricity."
The bike has been shipped down from a private collection in Scotland especially for the show. It is hoped that Mr Ostler's daughter Jean will be visiting the show to be reunited with one of the only remaining examples of her father's bike.
The other bike of special interest on the NACC stand will be the 1962 Stella. Designed by Maurice Cox of the Stella Motor Scooter Company, of Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, the bike was designed mainly for on-campus use by students at American universities.
It is thought that no more than 200 were made as the company went into liquidation in 1963, and there are only eight known examples left.
The bike is currently on display at Ipswich Transport Museum but will be given to the NACC to display on their stand this weekend.
The Copdock Show will take place at the Suffolk Showground this Sunday from 10am - 4pm.
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