Premier, 1913, 3 1/2 HP

Premier “3 1/2 HP”, 1913, England

What we know as Premier was born as Hillmann, Herbert & Cooper and owned a factory in Coventry. In 1885 they designed a bicycle with a peculiar lever system called Kangoroo (also shown in the museum).

The Premier Cycle Company was born in 1891 and soon becomes the largest bike manufacturer in the world.

In 1908 at the London Exhibition at in the Crystal Palace Premier unveiled its first motorcycle, powered by a 427cc “White & Poppe” engine. From 1909 to 1914 the small Premier racing stable name appears in the English Championship chart but never won. In 1921 the company was absorbed by Singer and Premier motorbikes continued to be made in Czechoslovakia until 1933.

Anecdote: The bike shown in the Museo was bought the 21st May, 1913 by Adolfo Petracchi for his insistent son Torquato, for 1.180 lire.

Torquato ignored his father’s advice to go slow, he couldn’t resist  and reached 40 kph near the city. By doing so, he went over the speed limits and ended up in court. The 13th Octobee the incorrigible Petracchi Junior, speed lover, ran over the unlucky 70-year old Angelo Ceroni: the accident costed him a 250 Lire fine.