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| [[Image: Im19240625MCing-Cotton.jpg|thumb|1924.]]
| | #redirect [[Cotton Motors]] |
| [[image:Im19250306MCT-Cotton.jpg|thumb| March 1925. ]]
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| [[Image: Im19361015MC-Cotton.jpg|thumb|1936.]]
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| Cotton Motorcycle Co, of Bristol Road, Gloucester
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| '''Cotton''' have been producing Motorcycles since 1919. TT racing success in the twenties made a reputation for the company, and in its first eleven years the company turned out over 6,000 motorcycles.
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| 1913 '''Francis Willoughby Cotton''', who had completed in motorcycle hill climbs, devise a straight-tubed triangulated frame that gave excellent handling.
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| 1914 As a student motor engineer, he applied for a patent for the triangular frame he had designed<ref>GB Patent 17434, of 1914</ref>. He had the frame tested by [[Levis]]. Trained as a lawyer, he was able, therefore, to prevent copying of his design.
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| 1919 The Gloucester-based '''Cotton''' firm began production of the machine at 11A Bristol Road, Gloucester, using a 269cc [[Villiers]] two-stroke engine driving an [[Albion Engineering Co|Albion]] gearbox.
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| 1922 '''Cotton''' entered three machines for the Junior TT; an unknown young Irishman by the name of Stanley Woods rode his '''Cotton''' to an impressive 5th place, despite a number of alarming mishaps during the race, including both machine and rider catching fire during refuelling.
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| 1923 Woods rode again for '''Cotton''' and he scored his first of ten TT victories, despite being only 19 years old. '''Cotton''' had proved the very good road holding and cornering qualities of his bikes and the make was to win many more races.
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| From 1922 to 1925, the range was expanded and '''Cotton''' machines had many racing successes.
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| 1926 Moved to Vulcan Works, Upper Quay St, Gloucester
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| Production reached 1000 machines/year
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| 1930 A saddle tank had been added and the range of models remained extensive with engines from [[Villiers]], [[Burney and Blackburne|Blackburne]], [[J. A. Prestwich Industries|JAP]] and [[Sturmey-Archer]].
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| 1931 [[Rudge-Whitworth| 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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| The Blackburne engine had to be replaced, which proved difficult to do.
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| 1940 Frank Willoughby Cotton, carrying on business as Cotton Motor Co, Quay St, Gloucester, was declared bankrupt<ref>London Gazette 9 January 1940</ref>. Production ceased.
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| Post WWII. Little had changed since the 1930s and few bikes were built or sold, although '''Cotton''' left the triangulated frame principle and scored successes in moto-cross and road racing. Girder forks were still being used - even as late as 1952.
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| 1953 A new company was formed under the name of '''Elizabeth Cotton''' as '''E. Cotton Motor Cycles'''. Production began again at Vulcan Works. They were successful again in racing until [[Villiers]] closed and they lost their British engine source.
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| 1954 Pat Onions and Monty Denley now had ownership of the company and they redesigned and changed the two-stroke engine. The first of the new range was the ''Vulcan'', powered by a 197cc [[Villiers]] ''8E'' engine in a rigid frame.
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| 1955 A model with a ''9E'' engine was added, along with the ''Cotanza'' that used the 242cc [[British Anzani Engine Co| British Anzani]] twin engine and had a pivoted-fork rear suspension.
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| 1956 A ''Trials'' model with a ''9E'' engine and a second 322cc ''Cotanza'' were added to the list.
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| 1957 Saw the arrival of a ''Vulcan Twin'' with a 249cc [[Villiers]] engine.
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| 1959 The ''Vulcan Twin'' changed its name to ''Herald'' and gained a form of rear enclosure as well as a companion in the form of the ''Messenger'' with the 324cc [[Villiers]] twin engine. All models were fitted with '''Armstrong''' leading link forks. The two ''Cotanza'' models were dropped.
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| 1960 Scrambles models were introduced, using the 246cc [[Villiers]] ''33A'' engine, as well as a sports version of the ''Herald'', the ''Double Gloucester''.
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| 1961 The range expanded with modified engines and new frames. These were the ''9E Vulcan Sports'', a 246cc ''Trials'' wth a ''32A'' engine, a second ''Scrambler'' wth a ''34A'', the road ''Corsair'' wih a ''31A'' engine, and the ''Continental'' 29cc twin with a new frame and a sporting style.
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| 1962 The range was joined by the ''Cougar'' scrambler, with a new frame and a modified ''34A'' engine.
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| 1963 Two new models appeared using the 247cc [[Villiers]] ''Starmaker'' engine. One was the ''Cobra'', a scrambler, and the other the ''Telstar'', built for road racing.
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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. The ''Continental Sports'' twin, ''Starmaker Trials'' and ''Cobra Sprecial'' models were introduced in an attempt to win customers in a declining market. Despite this effort, each year saw fewer models, until there were only three left.
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| 1968 Decline continued and [[Villiers]] ceased proprietary engine production, which affected many British firms.
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| 1970 Company moved to Stratton Road, Gloucester
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| Early 1970s. Kit-form trials bikes were then produced, using the 170cc [[Minarelli]] engine. Also produced 3-wheel truck, the Cotton ''Sturdy''.
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| 1974 The kit bike was listed as the ''Cavalier''
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| 1975 Late in the year the Cavalier was replaced by the ''Meteor'' scrambler with a 125cc [[Minarelli]] engine.
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| At some point the firm moved to Leckhampton, Cheltenham, taking over the old factory of [[Cheltenham Caravans]]
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| 1976 The ''Meteor'' went, but they were able to use a [[Villiers]]-type engine made by [[DMW]] for a trials model. After losing a government competition to [[CCM]], the frame builder from that firm became involved with Cottons and acquired the company.
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| 1978 The firm moved to Bolton.
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| 1979 The '''Cotton-ECM''' road racer emerged with a 250cc tandem-twin two-stroke Rotax engine (made by Bombardier-Rotax GmbH) in a mono-shock frame with [[Marzocchi]] forks, [[Brembo]] brakes and [[Dymag]] wheels. With it came motocross models in 125cc, 250cc and 400cc sizes, but these quickly became '''Armstong''' models, and thus brought the '''Cotton''' name to an end.
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| 1980 The company closed.
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| 1984 The company failed.
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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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| * ''Note:'' There is an owners and enthusiasts club. [http://home.wanadoo.nl/cotton/]
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| ==See Also==
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| <what-links-here/>
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| == Sources of Information ==
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| <references/>
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| * The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press 2004 ISBN 1 86126 674 X
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| * [http://www.motorcyclecity.com/all-motorcycles/index.htm##W] All Motorcycles Ever Made - Worldwide
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| * [http://www.motorarchive.com/] Yesterday's Antique Motorcycles web site
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| * [http://www.ianchadwick.com/motorcycles/britbikes/] Ian Chadwick's motorcycle web site
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| * Gloucestershire Echo, 19 April 2013.
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| * Gloucestershire Echo, 22 October 2016.
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| [[Category: Town - Gloucester]]
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| [[Category:Motorcycles]]
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