We at Mortons Motorcycle Media Ltd, market-leading publishers of classic and vintage titles, own one of the largest photographic archives of its kind in the world. lt is a treasure trove of millions of motorcycle and related images, many of which have never seen the light of day since they were filed away in the darkroom over 80 years ago.

Perhaps the biggest gem of all is our collection of glass plates - almost two tons of them to be precise! They represent a largely hitherto unseen look into our motorcycling heritage from the turn of the century. Many of the plates are priceless. They not only capture important events in the history of motorcycling but they also offer a fascinating glimpse into an age when our roads were almost devoid of traffic, hedgerows lined every country lane and every male above the age of 10 seemed to wear a cap! They are living history brought to life and it is our intention to produce a series of books from the glass plate collection.

The heady days when pressmen always had that first sneak preview of new models from the motorcycle factories is the dateline chosen for this book. Of course not all of the models featured proved successful. Indeed many had changed specification somewhat before they even reached the dealers showroom, but non the less the images you are about to enjoy will either jog your memory, or take you back in time as you see long forgotten machines for the first time.