Oxford’s Motorcycle and Sidecar is a popular addition to the range and you’ve seen it in both military and civilian liveries to date across both 1:76 and 1:148 scales. Here it appears in N scale in the guise of Post Office Telephones, an exact replica of its previously issued 1:76 scale counterpart.
Distinctive in the trademark bronze green and black of the GPO, our motorbike is registered AGT 23, with its number plate sitting on top of the front mudguard. Judging by the Royal crest, it served under King George V, while the signage on the sidecar indicates its role within the Post Office Engineering Department as No. UO6903. The engineer has all his gear neatly stored by the looks of it with two saddle bags, the cargo space within the covered sidecar and a ladder stored lengthwise underneath the sidecar as well. Additional minute details include brake levers and rear view mirror on the handlebars.
Motor bikes and side cars were a familiar sight from the 1930s and as well as being a convenient way of getting about as a private motorist, they were also favoured by commercial bodies such as the GPO, RAC and AA, as well as being invaluable in a military capacity – all in the Oxford ranges, of course.