Douglas Dragonfly
Encyclopedia
The Douglas Dragonfly was a British
motorcycle
designed and built by Douglas motorcycles
in Bristol
. The last motorcycle produced by the company, the 1955 Dragonfly was an all-new motorcycle built to use an improved version of an existing engine. It did not sell well however, and only 1,600 Dragonfly motorcycles were produced before the company was taken over and production ended in 1957.
Douglas was in financial difficulty and reduced its output to the 350 cc flat twin
models. The flat twin had been the Douglas trademark since 1906 and had a long history of Isle of Man TT
racing successes.
motorcycle show in a big display held in a giant micrometer
. Although it aroused a lot of interest, Douglas' finances did not allow them to exploit demand and the Dragonfly did not go into volume production for nine months.
which were increasing in popularity and only 1,600 Dragonfly motorcycles were ever built. The Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
bought Douglas out in 1956, and production of Douglas Motorcycles ended in 1957 with the final Dragonflys being sold at discount by London dealer Pride & Clarke.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
designed and built by Douglas motorcycles
Douglas (motorcycles)
Douglas was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1907–1957 based in Kingswood, Bristol, owned by the Douglas family, and especially known for its horizontally opposed twin cylinder engined bikes and as manufacturers of speedway machines...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The last motorcycle produced by the company, the 1955 Dragonfly was an all-new motorcycle built to use an improved version of an existing engine. It did not sell well however, and only 1,600 Dragonfly motorcycles were produced before the company was taken over and production ended in 1957.
History
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Douglas was in financial difficulty and reduced its output to the 350 cc flat twin
Flat engine
A flat engine is an internal combustion engine with multiple pistons that move in a horizontal plane. Typically, the layout has cylinders arranged in two banks on either side of a single crankshaft and is sometimes known as the boxer, or horizontally opposed engine. The concept was patented in 1896...
models. The flat twin had been the Douglas trademark since 1906 and had a long history of Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
racing successes.
Development
The Dragonfly was known as the Dart while in development and was based on the Mark V Douglas and an earlier 500 cc prototype. Aiming to overcome the outdated image, designers were commissioned from the Reynolds Tube Company to develop a completely new open duplex frame of welded tubing, including a swinging arm with twin Girling dampers (state of the art for the time) with leading link front suspension. The strengthened and streamlined 348 cc engine had a modern coil ignition AC generator and distributor, with bolt-through cast iron cylinders and heads and duralumin pushrods.Launch
The launch of the Dragonfly was the last chance of survival for the Douglas company when it featured at the 1954 Earls CourtEarls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
motorcycle show in a big display held in a giant micrometer
Micrometer
A micrometer , sometimes known as a micrometer screw gauge, is a device incorporating a calibrated screw used widely for precise measurement of small distances in mechanical engineering and machining as well as most mechanical trades, along with other metrological instruments such as dial, vernier,...
. Although it aroused a lot of interest, Douglas' finances did not allow them to exploit demand and the Dragonfly did not go into volume production for nine months.
Decline
As well as production delays, the Dragonfly was bigger and heavier than its predecessors but no more powerful. It was also noisy and acceleration was sedate. Douglas decided to concentrate on importing Vespa scootersVespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
which were increasing in popularity and only 1,600 Dragonfly motorcycles were ever built. The Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
The Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company Ltd was created in 1935 when the Westinghouse Brake & Saxby Signal Company Ltd, dropped the 'Saxby' from their title...
bought Douglas out in 1956, and production of Douglas Motorcycles ended in 1957 with the final Dragonflys being sold at discount by London dealer Pride & Clarke.