Black Douglas: Old, but new
And British, but Italian.
OR should all that be the other way around? Whichever way you look at it, the Black Douglas Sterling Autocycle is an oddity.
Officially launched at the recent Motor Bike Expo in Verona, it's a British designed tribute to bikes of the pioneer era that's now going into production in Italy. So while it looks like it's knocking on for 100 years old, it's actually brand new.
Powered by a 200cc single-cylinder, four-stroke motor making 17bhp, the 100kg machine isn't likely to be much quicker than the original bikes that inspired it, but it's said to comply with Euro 3 emissions limits and meet all modern rules and regulations. A 125cc, learner-legal version is also planned.
Around 40 of the machines are expected to be made this year by the Black Douglas Motorcycle Co, based in Brugarolo, near Milan, priced at 9900 Euros. Check it out here: www.theblackdouglas.co.uk
