Like all manufacturers in the early 1930s Matchless of Plumstead were fighting furiously for their share of the motorcycle sales market after the turmoil of the 1929 Great Depression.
This catalogue is such an indication of Matchless managements confidence in the motorcycle market improving and is presenting 11 models for the 1933 riding season. It opens with some of the features that the new owner could get when they purchase a Plumstead product. There were new brakes on some models, the highly efficient engine shock absorber, fabric type oil filter, and the design techniques of Plumsteads crowning glories, the Silver Hawk V4 and the Silver Arrow V2, as well as their spring cantilever frame. There is also bit of proud early history of Matchless in the Foreword.
The 11 machines include the 33D/7 2.46hp SV model, the 33D/2 2.46hp OHV model, the 33D/3 and 33D/6 3.47hp OHV models, the 33D/5 4.98hp SV model, the 33/D80 Sports 500 OHV model, the 33C/S 4.95hp OHV model, the 33/C 5.86hp SV model, the 33/X3 9.9hp V twin model, the 33/A2 Silver Arrow and the 33/D 5.93hp Silver Hawk V4 model. There are also 5 sidecars and one commercial body.
My special like would be the section drawings of the Silver Arrow and Silver Hawk in the last couple of pages.
Click on the front cover below to see the complete 25 page catalogue.
It is a 5.6M PDF.
Matchless were on Stand 28 at the November 1933 Olympia Motorcycle Show. The MotorCycle magazine reporters were there to detail interesting new models and ideas. Here is the page from that show reporting on the Matchless Sports 500, the 4 cylinder Silver Hawk and the Model X4 990cc V twin.
