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| '''Cotton''' have been producing [[Motorcycles]] since 1919.
| | #redirect [[Cotton Motors]] |
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| [[Francis Willoughby Cotton]] began designing in 1913, devising a straight-tubed triangulated frame that gave excellent handling. Trained as a lawyer, he was able to prevent design copy.
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| * 1919 The Gloucester-based Cotton firm began production of a 269cc [[Villiers]] two-stroke engine driving an [[Albion]] gearbox.
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| * 1922-1925 The range was expanded and Cotton machines were successful at the TT.
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| * 1930 A saddle tank had been added and the range of models remained extensive with engines from [[Villiers]], [[Blackburne]], [[JAP]] and [[Sturmey-Archer]].
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| * 1931 [[Rudge Python]] joined the range and by now there was something for everyone. This served the company well during the depressed times of the 1930s.
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| * Post-war. Little had changed since the 1930s and few bikes were built or sold.
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| * 1954 [[Pat Onions]] and [[Monty Denley]] now had ownership of the company and they redesigned and changed the two-stoke engine.
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| * 1960 Scrambles models were intorduced as well as a sports version.
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| * 1961-1963 The range expanded with modified engines and new frames.
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| * 1964 Fewer models were produced as the emphasis was more on sports and competition, and this set the trend for the next few years.
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| * 1968 Decline continued and [[Villiers]] ceased proprietary engine production, which effected many British firms.
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| * 1970s Kit-form trials bikes were produced and the [[Cotton-EMC]] road racer, as well as various motocross models. The company became very involved with [[CCM]] and [[Armstrong]]; those bikes eventually became [[Armstong]] models and the Cotton name thus came to an end.
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| * 1991 [[Fluff Brown]] revived the Cotton name and since then replicas of the 1960s bikes have been built by [[AJS Motorcycles]] of Hampshire. This company was formed when [[FB-AJS]] took on the [[AJS]] line in 1974, and the nostalgia boom of the 1990s saw continued demand for these machines.
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| == Sources of Information ==
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| The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press
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