Colin Seeley: The Machines, The Magic, The Man

The life of legendary motorcycle racer, manufacturer and racing team boss Colin Seeley is celebrated in a fully illustrated new volume by James Robinson, editor of The Classic MotorCycle, sister magazine of OBM.

Seeley died on January 7 this year, aged 84, and the book pays tribute to his memory with a wealth of superb photographs from the vast Mortons Archive.

Having learned to ride on his dad’s Vincent Rapide and passing his test at just 16, Seeley became an apprentice at a motorcycle shop near his home in Crayford, Kent, and quickly developed an affinity for bikes that would endure for the rest of his life.

He began racing motorcycles by entering an endurance event at Brands Hatch in 1954 on a BSA Star Twin, later switching to scramblers and then sidecars. His first Grand Prix was the Isle of Man TT in 1961, where he finished sixth.

Throughout the ‘60s he took part in British and world championship sidecar competitions and took his first win at the 1964 Dutch TT. After retiring from competition, he switched to building his own frames in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s – many of them raced to great success.

Seeley also worked with Bernie Ecclestone in Formula 1, and the two had an interesting relationship to say the least.

Published by Banovallum Books, an imprint of Mortons Books, Colin Seeley: The Machines, The Magic, The Man chronicles the life and times of a true racing hero and legend of the motorcycle industry and is available to order for only £7.99 from www.mortonsbooks.co.uk

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