I was at a relative's garage sale last week and spotted this picture. The grandfather owned a photography company, and his son was also a bit of a shutterbug. They found this pic in with a bunch of his other stuff, and hung it on the wall to sell for virtually nothing. I took a shine to it because of the old car in the background, and the cool dude on the bike. He has his jeans rolled up just like mine, so I felt a kindred spirit.
I'm not a biker, but I liked the jeans.

I'm guessing the car is an Austin A40, but have no idea what year or make the bike is or when this might have been taken. Thought I'd check with you guys and see if there are any biker types among us.

Any guesses?

 

Harley pan head I believe. Looking at it on my phone so pic is a bit small.

 

Looks more like a Knucklehead. I don't think the Panhead had the external pushrod tube.

 

The car almost certainly isn't an Austin, looks a bit like a Daimler or possibly an obscure American model to me.


Roger.

 

Could be tricky to id that one. I was going by what the old guy said. He seemed quite certain it was an Austin A40, but not sure what he was basing that on. Been trying to figure out when the picture was taken. I'm guessing the early sixties or late fifties, maybe. Any ideas what year the bike might be?
It looks like the bike is a Harley, so I'm further ahead then when I started.

 

Can't help you on the motorcycle,but whoever said the car looked like a Austin was "right on ". It's a '50 or '51 Austin A40. Larry

 

Knuckles, pans, and shovels each have their own distinctive valve cover appearance. You would see the hexes on a knuckle's rocker covers, and circles (at the rocker arm pivots) on a shovel's rocker covers.

Panhead.

 

They all had external push rod tubes. I believe it to be a Knuckle but vintage 50's for sure.

 

Bike in pic is a 1950-52 H.D. Panhead ,If it's still original.Picture doesn't show a lot of detail. The last Knuckle head was 1947.

 

Thank you for clearing that up.

 

I don't want to start an argument Larry, but post war Austin A40 models had a one piece windshield. Sure the grille looks just like an A40, but plenty of immediate post war British cars had similar styling.


I wonder where the pic was taken. Harleys in the UK were rarer than British sedans in the USA until the '60s.


Roger.

 

I believe the picture was taken in Vancouver BC, Canada.