Despite being named after the Birmingham suburb of Sparkbrook, these machines were built in Coventry. The story had begun with the National Arms & Ammunition Co which had been founded in Montgomery Street in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, but after diversifying from firearms into bicycles and tricycles, the company ran into difficulties.
William Hillman bought the cycle part of the business from the receivers and moved it to Coventry where the company ventured into motorcycle manufacture in 1912 with a sidecar outfit fitted with a choice of either a 746 or 980cc V-twin JAP engine. However, production did not really start in any meaningful way until 1914 (not an auspicious year to be going into business).
The first machines produced were powered by JAP V-twins but, of course, production would cease for the duration of the First World War. After the Great War was over, manufacturing resumed, but only using Villiers single-cylinder engines. Then Barr & Stroud and JAPs would be added, but the last Sparkbrook was produced in 1926 and then the company was acquired by Singer.
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Some 3000 machines had been produced over the life of Sparkbrook and several survive with the V-twin being the most prized.
Original article appeared in Old Bike Mart. To subscribe, click here: https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/old-bike-mart
