A replica of more than 110 years ago on Congo for 300 Francs

The Kongo (or Congo) is the second river of Africa and name giver of 2 countries on the Westcoast of Africa, where the river flows through. The former Belgian Congo named itself Democratic Republic Congo when the independence was proclaimed in 1960. The former French Congo (also called mid-Congo), bounded to Belgian Congo, also became independent in 1960, but choose the name Republique du Congo. To distinguish the 2 countries, the names are always mentioned with the name of their respective capitol behind. Therefore the Belgian Congo is called Congo-Kinshasa, and the former French Congo gets the extension Brazzaville.

On October 6th 1969 the Republique du Congo issued a series of 8 stamps with old bicycles and motorcycles. On the highest value of 300 Francs a remarkable motorcycle: a Matchless and NLG/JAPS.

Matchless was a motorcycle brand since 1899, built in the factory of daddy Henry Collier and his sons Charlie and Harry. The last were both racing drivers in amongst others the TT races on Man, the first the famous winner of the first race there. Matchless used JAP (J. A. Prestwich) engines as source of power.
Not far from the Matchless factory was the North London Garage, where world record chaser Will Cook could be found very often. Together with the Colliers a few racing machines were thought out (it could not yet be called "designed"), what resulted in various world records established on Brooklands.
In 1908 the speed record on Brooklands was set at 90 Mph (144 km/hr) with a 944 cc Peugeot V-twin. But in the chase of even faster records the machine were constantly equipped with larger engines, what resulted in a motorcycle with a V-twin engine of 2913 cc. And this is the motorcycle that is depicted on the Congo 300 Fr stamp. The machine got the nickname "The beast of Brooklands".
Driver Cook could not establish new records with this bike, but the motorcycle itself established the record of the largest motorcycle in cc's of that era.

Rider Will Cook on the NLG/JAPS

The fuel tank had the shape of a torpedo, and could contain just enough fuel to ride 3 rounds on the Brooklands track.
The NLG of almost 3 liters inspired the Czech Pavel Malanik, a well-known motorcycle "replicator", to the birth of a second NLG Torpedo.

The creation from Pavel Malanik

And I must say that he has came very close with his replica although he rode, also on Brooklands, with his machine 10 miles faster than Cook.

Bye the way, the "mirroring of images", that is used quite often by nowadays stamp designers, had already been used in 1969. Look at the image used in the illustration on the stamps FDC.

After an idea from Joop Kits, adapted by Hans de Kloet

Top   -   Back to former page   -   Home