by         Alec John. Stevens

a nephew of the original A. J. Stevens.

The story of A. J. Stevens and Company (1914) Limited started in a blacksmith's shop in Wednesfield in 1897. Joseph Stevens senior was not only a self-employed blacksmith, but ran his own engineering firm as well. In that year of 1897 he purchased from America a small "Mitchell^" single cylinder, four stroke engine — presumably to pump the forge bellows.

Harry, the eldest son, was working with his father on the engineering side. Although only 21 he was a brilliant engineer with a keen, inventive mind. He disliked the temperamental ^"Mitchell^" and promptly designed and built his own engine. This was the first ^"Stevens.^"

Encouraged by his father, and helped by his younger brothers in their spare time, he set up a production line to make and sell these stationary engines. Later that year he fitted one of them into the frame of a bicycle. The first "Stevens^" motor cycle was born.

One by one, the younger brothers - George - Joe (my father) and "Jack^" (A. J. Stevens) all joined Harry, and by the turn of the century were all working flat out producing engines. These were sold, not only to their own customers, but to other companies too - famous names like Wolf, Wearwell, and Clyno to name but three.

Around this time Joseph senior sold his blacksmith's shop and he and his sons moved into larger premises in Retreat Street in Wolverhampton. Joseph senior started his own light engineering company known as "Stevens Screw", while his sons next door built engines, both stationary and mobile, the latter to be fitted into bicycle frames.

"Sunbeam", the famous car manufacturer had been making bicycles since 1887. They made a decision to break into the motorcycle industry, then in its infancy. Harry was contacted and asked to design an engine for their new bike. This he did and Sunbeam were so pleased that they paid Harry a substantial fee. They may have 'regretted it later because it was this money that enabled Harry and his brothers to enter the motorcycle industry themselves.

The brothers first motorcycle (as opposed to a motorised bicycle) was produced in 1909. So as not to confuse it with their previous engines, they decided to drop the name "Stevens". The only brother with three initials was "Jack", whose full name was Albert John Stevens, so they called it "A.J.S"

The company prospered, and the four brothers, all keen riders, won many trials and road races. In 1911, for the first time, they entered two machines in the Isle of Man Junior TT. Brother Jack rode one and came 15^th . (He might have done better had he not hit a sheep on a mountain bend and bent his front forks!) All the brothers were now bitten by the TT bug.

They had no time to prepare for the 1912 races, but they did enter two bikes in 1913, and one came tenth, with the rider of the other retiring with engine trouble in the last lap.

Harry was not at all happy with these results and went back to the drawing board. He came up with a winner — a single cylinder 350cc engine with a revolutionary four-speed gear box. This small bike dominated the 1914 Junior TT, and A.J.S. swept the board, with their team riders coming 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, and 6^th. One lone bike was entered for the Brooklands track race and won that too. Overnight sales rocketed.

The brothers were now in the big league. "A. J. Stevens (1914) Ltd." was floated on the Stock Exchange. The capital was £600,000, a very large sum in those days. The company moved lock, stock, and barrel to a new large factory at nearby Graisley Hill. This was only a stone's throw from the Sunbeam car and motorcycle factory down the road.

During World War I motorcycles were built for the Army. (Billy, the 5th and youngest of the brothers, joined the Army and rode an A.J.S. as a dispatch rider). A consignment of A.J.S. bikes were on H.M.S. Hampshire with Lord Kitchener aboard, en route for Russia, when she was torpedoed off Scotland and sank with all hands. The A.J.S. factory went over to munitions — mainly components for the aircraft industry.

With the war over, Harry went back to the drawing board and produced yet another phenomenally successful single cylinder 350cc OHV. engine. This little gem won three successive Junior TT victories in 1920, 1921 and 1922, but it was the race in 1921 (the date of the writer's birth) that was the most sensational.

The A.J.S. works team led by winner Eric Williams, with Howard Davis second, dominated the 1921 Junior TT by coming in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6^th, and 8th. When asked to comment on this incredible victory, Harry, a man of few words, grunted, "Shove the bike in the Senior, and I'll tell you then." They did, with Howard Davis in the saddle.

He took on, single-handed, the giant 500cc team bikes of Douglas, Triumph, Norton, Scott, and Sunbeam, and the mighty American "Indians." After a tremendous battle, especially against Alec Bennett on a Sunbeam and Fred Dixon on a big Indian, Davis won at an average speed of 57.50 mph, which was a record for the Isle of Man Circuit. This feat of a baby single cylinder 350cc machine beating the Senior "twins" has never been repeated.

This historic "double" led to a further step up of A.J.S. production, and soon over a 1000 bikes a week were being built and sold. The 1920's were the golden years for A.J.S. with many more racing successes both at home and abroad.

In the mid-twenties, to avoid having all their eggs in one basket, the brothers decided to diversify into other activities. They borrowed heavily to purchase new premises, and to set up production lines to manufacture their own radios and radiograms. Charlie Hayward (father of Sir Jack Hayward the multi-millionaire property developer) was making "Swallow" side-cars at the time. A.J.S. bought him out, with Charlie remaining on the board. They then entered the commercial vehicle field making buses, charabancs, and lorries. In 1930 cars were added to their repertoire, mostly saloons, but a few two-seater sports cars were also made

As a result of this heavy investment, capital was being swallowed up at an enormous rate, whilst the chain reaction which followed the Wall Street crash in 1929 reached Europe. The 1930 British slump hit the car and motorcycle market hard. The next year the Midland bank foreclosed. The company went into voluntary liquidation, and the name "A.J.S." together with the goodwill was sold to the Collier Brothers of Woolwich, who manufactured the "Matchless" motor cycles. Before doing this the Stevens brothers saw that all debts were cleared and that creditors were paid 20 shillings in the pound.

This was not, however, the end of the Stevens brothers. With nothing but a bank overdraft (not from the Midland), a few jigs and tools, and plenty of determination they all returned to their old premises in Retreat Street to start again. They set up the company "Stevens Brothers (Wolverhampton) Ltd.' Thanks to Harry’s' inventive genius, a three wheeler van (with a 500cc motor cycle engine) was soon in production, followed closely by conventional motorcycles. Both vans and bikes bore the name "Stevens." Only a few of these rare models are still around. The writer has a 1936 van (found derelict in a field near Ascot), a 1935 350 cc bike, and a 1930 two-seater A.J.S. sports car, all greatly treasured.

In the late 1930's the brothers were approached by George Brough of Nottingham, then making the "Rolls Royce" of motor cycles, the famous "Brough Superior" (he put Austin 7 engines in some of them!). George wanted to build a bike to end all bikes, in time for the 1938 motor cycle exhibition at Olympia. It was to be called "The Golden Dream." The Stevens brothers built the proto-type engine on time, but, alas, the project remained just a pipe dream. Only one "Golden" was built, and that can now be seen on display at the International Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

1938 was the year of the Munich crisis and the Stevens brothers went on to war work for the second time in their lives. After the war, old-age and illness gradually took its toll. The writer's uncle "Jack" (A J Stevens) was the last of the brothers to go. It was the end of an era.

Copyright:- A.J. Stevens 1989