George Brown (22 February 1912 – 27 February 1979) was a motorcycle racer, known as " the father of British sprinting". Brown raced a variety of bikes but is most closely associated with the Vincent brand. For a time he worked at Vincent, where he headed up their Experimental department and raced the factory-backed single and V-twin bikes. Brown left Vincent to establish his own motorcycle shop and as a sideline built high-performance sprint bikes that he rode to several national and international records.
Biography Early years George Brown was born on 22 February 1912 in Nottingham, England, and grew up in Colwick, Nottinghamshire. He attended Nottingham High School and planned a career in law as a solicitor.
Brown's grandfather ran a cycle shop, and his father owned several motorcycles. Brown's father eventually bought a cycle shop in Harrow, where George spent time repairing a wide variety of motorcycles. He later inherited brother Cliff's 250 cc AJS.
At the beginning of the 1930s Brown drove a lorry and worked for Raleigh, where his father had earlier been in the Experimental Department. In 1933 Brown went to the Vincent works at Stevenage and asked Vincent founder Philip Conrad Vincent (PCV) for a job. He was given a position in the service department, where he rebuilt second-hand bikes taken in exchange for new Vincents. By 1934 Brown had moved into the factory, where he was soon promoted to the Test and Special bike department.
In 1937 Brown lapped Brooklands at over . Due to Brown's not being a member of the British Motorcycle Racing Club (BMCRC), he was denied the usual Gold Star for the feat. The bike involved may have been the first Vincent 1000 cc twin, believed to be DUR 142, at speeds of in wet conditions. During this period he was also riding a 350 cc Velocette at grass track events.
WW II and post-war at Vincent At the outbreak of World War II Vincent shut down motorcycle manufacturing and converted to wartime production. Brown went to work for Percival Aircraft in Luton, building Mosquitos as assembly foreman. He applied to the RAF but his application was declined due to his being employed in a reserved occupation at Percival. When the war ended in 1945 Brown stayed at Percival for a while, but quickly got involved with Vincent again. After his release from war work he immediately returned to Vincent. Brown also married in 1946.
After the war Brown was racing privately when he was approached by Joe Craig to ride a Norton at the Isle of Man TT. Brown turned him down, and the ride went to John Surtees. Vincent opened a showroom in Chesterfield in the north, and Brown worked there as sales manager for a time before returning to Stevenage.
During the 1946 racing season, Brown recorded 6 first and 5 second places on a modified Comet that was later known as the Cadwell Special. In 1947 he began racing a special Rapide that was later named Gunga Din.
Brown made his first appearance at the Isle of Man in 1948 in the Clubmans' TT. He was leading after 3 laps when he ran out of petrol. Brown then pushed his bike the remaining 6 miles, and still managed a sixth-place finish. Before running out of fuel he had set fastest lap, at . Later that same year Brown crashed badly at Eppynt trying to avoid a young girl who had fallen off the banking onto the track.
In 1951 Brown was approached by AJS with an offer to ride for them, but he turned them down as he had with Norton earlier. He continued to ride Vincents in road racing and trials events.
Post-Vincent Brown left Vincent in 1951. He started his own motorcycle business in part of a local Ford dealership. He was an agent for Francis-Barnett, Norman and Velocette motorcycles, as well as taking on special projects, such as developing a Trials bike for Norman. Brown also began building his own motorcycles for road racing and, later, for sprinting.
In his first outing at the TT after leaving Vincent in 1951 he placed fourth on an AJS. Returning in 1952 he placed sixth on an AJS in the Junior event and seventh on a Norton in the Senior race.
At this time Brown expanded his business, taking over a shop across the road from the old Vincent works in the High Street in the old town in Stevenage. This was also when he became an agent for Vincent motorcycles.
In 1953 Brown was seriously injured at the Junior TT when he collided with the wreckage of Leslie Graham's MV Agusta. After this Brown essentially retired from road racing, but continued to appear in hill climbs and sprints. Brown was involved in another crash at Jersey, running into a barrier at and ending up underneath a car.
In 1958 Brown was one of the people involved in the formation of the National Sprint Association. Brown served as a vice-president until he succeeded Donald Campbell as president in 1967.
In 1961 Brown staged an attempt on the World Solo Record, then held by Albino Milani. Over two days, 19 and 20 August, Brown ran both his Nero bike and an Ariel Arrow at Thurleigh field. Brown took three British records for both standing- and flying-start kilometre on the Ariel. Avon Rubber supplied new slick tyres for Nero; the first use of such tyres in Britain. On Nero, Brown took the World Record for the Standing-start Kilometre for 1000 cc machines.
The British Drag Racing Association was formed in 1964 with Sydney Allard as president. Brown served as one of the Vice Presidents.
Brown continued to race sprints into the mid-1960s, but the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) would only grant licenses to riders up to 54 years of age. Brown's ambition was to record a run on British soil. In 1966 Brown scheduled a 4-day Castrol-sponsored attempt to exceed 200 mph on a motorcycle in Britain. The runs took place at Greenham Common in Berkshire in October, one year before he would lose his racing license. During the runs several British and World records were set, but the 200 mph goal was not reached. Brown returned to Greenham Common in November for another three days of sprints, setting several new records.
Even after reaching the cut-off age for eligibility to set International records, Brown continued to race and set British records. He also campaigned to have FIM lift their 55-year age limit, writing to FIM headquarters in Geneva. FIM relented in 1968 and lifted the 55-year age limit. At 56 Brown tried to exceed 200 mph at Elvington, but was unable to reach that goal.
In 1970 Brown had the first of several heart attacks. He died in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on 27 February 1979. He was survived by his wife Ada and sons Anthony and Graham.
Memorials The George Brown Memorial Vintage Run was an event that started in 1979 and was organised by the Stevenage and District Motorcycle Club. It was renamed the Presidents’ Memorial Classic Run in 2025.
The George Brown Memorial Sprint is an event that is organised by the National Sprint Association. It was first held in 1982 at Santa Pod Raceway.
Records held Over the course of his sprinting career Brown held no less than 30 national and world speed records. These records included the following.
Title Class Date Speed Time Bike Location Previous record World standing-start kilometre Sidecar November 1960 Nero World standing-start kilometre 1000 cc August 1961 20.573 s Nero Thurleigh World standing-start kilometre 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc August 1961 28.863 s Ariel Arrow Thurleigh (250 cc), (350 cc), (500 cc) World flying-start kilometre 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc August 1961 20.966 s Ariel Arrow Thurleigh (250 cc), (350 cc), (500 cc) World standing-start kilometreBritish standing-start kilometre 1000 cc June 1964 19.48 s Super Nero Chelveston British flying-start kilometre 1000 cc June 1964 12.96 s Super Nero Chelveston British flying-start quarter-mile 1000 cc June 1964 5.08 s Super Nero Chelveston British flying-start quarter-mile 1000 cc August 1964 (average) 4.374 s (mean) Super Nero Chelveston British standing-start kilometre 1000 cc August 1964 10.283 s (mean) Super Nero Chelveston World standing-start kilometreBritish standing-start kilometre Solo 1000 cc 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 19.16s (mean) Greenham Common World standing-start kilometreBritish standing-start kilometre Sidecar 1000 cc 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 21.92 s (mean) Greenham Common World standing-start ¼ mileBritish standing-start ¼ mile Sidecar 1000 cc 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 11.80 s (mean Greenham Common British standing-start ¼ mile Solo 1300 cc 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 11.13 s (mean) Greenham Common British flying-start kilometre 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 18.26 s (mean) 250 cc Royal Enfield Special Greenham Common British standing-start kilometre 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 26.89 s (mean) 250 cc Royal Enfield Special Greenham Common World standing-start ¼ mile 5, 6, 7, 8 October 1966 (average) 14.49 s (mean) Greenham Common World standing-start mileBritish standing-start mile Solo 1300 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 31.366 s (mean) Super Nero Mark II Greenham Common World standing-start mileBritish standing-start mile Solo 1000 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 28.032 s (mean) Super Nero Mark I Greenham Common World standing-start mileBritish standing-start mile Sidecar 1000 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 30.446 s (mean) Super Nero Mark I Greenham Common World flying-start kilomotreBritish flying-start kilometre Sidecar 1000 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 14.112 s (mean) Super Nero Mark I Greenham Common World standing-start mileBritish standing-start mile Sidecar 1300 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 31.057 s (mean) Super Nero Mark II Greenham Common World flying-start kilometreBritish flying-start kilometre Sidecar 1300 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 14.939 s (mean) Super Nero Mark II Greenham Common World standing-start kilometreBritish standing-start kilometre Sidecar 1300 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 21.625 s (mean) Super Nero Mark II Greenham Common British flying-start ¼ mile Sidecar 1300 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 5.888 s (mean) Super Nero Mark II Greenham Common British standing-start mile Sidecar 1300 3, 4, 5 November 1966 (average) 37.392 s (mean) 250 cc Royal Enfield Special Greenham Common British standing-start mile 1300 cc solo 1967 26.96 s Super Nero British flying-start kilometre 1300 cc solo 1967 13.03 s Super Nero British flying-start ¼ mile 1968 (average) 5.209 s (mean) Super Nero Elvington World flying-kilometreBritish flying-kilometre 1968 (average) 12.285 s (mean) Super Nero Elvington World flying-mileBritish flying-mile Sidecar 1970 (average) 28.074 s (mean) Super Nero Elvington
Significant motorcycles
Cadwell Special
In the winter of 1946/47 Brown and Vincent service foreman Norman Brewster approached PCV and proposed building a Series A Comet Special for short circuit racing until a new 500 cc model was ready. PCV agreed, but restricted them to using factory surplus parts. Brown used a Comet engine and frame with serial number TTC17 as the basis of the Special. TTC17 had earlier been ridden at Donington Park by Captain Clark. Brown and Brewster rebuilt the bike and managed to get weight down to . The bike's name came from the location of its first outing, at Cadwell Park.
Vincent designer Philip Edward Irving (PEI) was approached by the West Ham Speedway to build an engine similar to the TTC17 Cadwell unit for speedway use. PCV and PEI designed a modified engine that used a Rapide cylinder head and barrel and a Series A engine case. All of the cooling fins were sawn off the barrel and cylinder head so that the engine would warm up quickly. The first engine had a crankcase of cast Elektron metal. Eventually the Cadwell Special itself received a Speedway engine. The Cadwell Special was sold by the factory after the Grey Flash bikes became available.
Gunga Din