BSA MILESTONES

John Dent Goodman elected as Chairman of Birmingham Small Arms Association.

Small Heath factory commences weapon manufacture as power engines are started.

Birmingham Small Arms and Metal Company Ltd formed to deal with massive order placed by Prussian army.

Mr Otto demonstrates his Dicycle to BSA Directors by riding it up and down boardroom table! First threeOtto machines delivered 5th August. Company adopt their 'Piled Arms' trademark.

Company title reverts back to 'Birmingham Small Arms Ltd'.

First powered motor-bicycle produced using a Minerva engine. Eadie Manufacturing Company of Redditch acquired.

First all-BSA 3½hp motor-bicycle unveiled at Olympia, London. Daimler Motor Company of Coventry acquired.

Kenneth Holden, chief tester, wins first race on standard 3'/2hp model at Brooklands, averaging 60.75

Six out of eight BSA entrants finish TT races. Model H, all chain driven, 557cc, 4lAhp introduced. First sidecars built. Great War marks return to mass production of munitions.

Work commences on four-storey 'New' Building for Lewis Gun manufacture. Expansion to five factories

BSA Cycles Ltd formed. Model E 770cc SV Vee-Twin announced.

Tourist Trophy races end in total disaster. Six specially built machine all fail to finish. Commander Godfrey Herbert DSO appointed Managing Director, BSA Cycles Ltd.

Model G 986cc SV Vee-Twin announced.

Model range expanded with introduction of 350cc Model L and 500cc model S 'Sports'.

First production year for highly popular Model B 'Round Tank'. First OHV Model L produced. Harry Perrey leads competition team up Screw Hill and to summit of Mount Snowden.

First Maudes Trophy win with demonstration of sixty climbs of Bwlcb-Y-Groes. A. E. Perrigo joins competition department. Model S 500cc OHV 'Sloper' announced. John Castley and Bertram Cathrick set out on eighteen-month World Tour riding Model G Combinations.

Redditch Eadie works closed, all motorcycle production transferred to Small Heath.

Bert Perrigo wins inaugural British Experts Trial. First BSA three-wheeler powered by air-cooled Vee-Twin produced.

New range of wet-sump lubricated, upright cylinder models announced.

Bert Perrigo wins victory trial on Blue Star. Team award won by BSA team.

Ambitious 500cc Fluid Flywheel motorcycle announced but fails to reach production stage.

To commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee, Empire Star models announ

Valentine Page joins design department and presents complete new range of M and B group singles, later joined by 250cc C group models.

Walter Handley wins Brooklands Gold Star on dope-tuned M23 Empire Star. Alloy-engine M24 Gold Star announced at Earls Court.

Second Maudes Trophy victory with endurance test using M21 Combination and M23 Empire Star.

James Leek leads BSA in massive war effort by producing vast arsenal of weapons for Allies, plus 126,000 M20 motorcycles.

Fifty-three BSA employees killed in Blitz. Programme of dispersal factories commenced.

Ariel Motors of Selly Oak acquired.

Production of civilian models resumed. Popular model B31 produced, equipped with telescopic forks.

First 500cc OHV parallel twin model A7 announced. Redditch dispersal factory produces twin-cylinder Sunbeam S7.

Return to Isle of Man TT as ZB Gold Stars enter Clubman races.

First of half a million Bantam two-stroke models leaves Redditch factory.

Herbert Hopwood joins BSA and designs 6SOcc Al0 Golden Flash. Harold Clark wins 350cc Clubmans TT.

Harold Tozer wins first-ever ACU Sidecar Trials Star.

Triumph Engineering Company acquired from Jack Sangster for £2¹/2m. Sangster joins BSA board of Directors.

Third Maudes Trophy win as Brian Martin, Norman Vanhouse and Fred Rist sensationally take three stock A7 Star Twins on 4,500 mile (7,240km) test, winning ISDT team trophy. Gene Thiessen breaks world record on Bonneville salt flats reaching 143.5mph (230. l2kph) on methanol4uned Ab.

BSA Motorcycles Ltd and BSA Cycles Ltd formed as separate divisions.

Daytona Beach 200-mile (320km) race won by A7 Star Twins.

Bernard Codd wins Junior and Senior Clubmans TT riding Gold Stars. Sir Bernard Docker ousted by Jack Sangster in AGM chairmanship battle. Edward Turner succeeds James Leek as Automotive Chief Executive.

BSA Cycles sold to Raleigh; BSA and Daimler Cars sold to Jaguar Motors. £2.1 m profit announced.

First in long line of unit construction singles as 250cc OHV model C15 is announced.

BSA celebrates centenary. Jack Sangster retires after declaring annual profit of £3m. Succeeded by Eric Turner.

Chris Vincent wins BSA's first and only full International TT with A7 Shooting Star 'kneeler outfit'. New range of unit-constructed twin-cylinder A50 and A65 models announced.

Edward Turner retires as Managing Director, replaced by Harry Sturgeon. Ariel production transferred to Small Heath. National BSA Owners Club formed.

Jeff Smith wins World Moto-Cross Championship. 44lcc Victor Scrambler produced.

Death of Harry Sturgeon; Lionel Jofeh installed as Managing Director. Umberslade Hall research establishment founded. Queen's Award to Industry granted.

Second Queen's Award presented to BSA. Three cylinder 750cc Rocket Three produced.

Jeff Smith awarded MEE. Thirteen-model line-up including new 350cc OHC Fury shown at lavish London hotel dinner.

BSA-Triumph Automotive Group devastated by £8m trading loss. Eric Turner and Lionel Jofeh depart. Lord Shawcross installed to lead rescue.

Further £3 m loss declared by group.

BSA near bankruptcy. Government-sponsored take-over by Manganese Bronze Holdings. Norton-Villiers-Triumph Company formed. Machines bearing the 'Piled Arms' trademark no longer produced.

Triumph Meriden workers thwart attempts to produce Triumph engines at Small Heath. Factory site sold to Birmingham Corporation.

Small Heath factory demolished.