Reg Armstrong packed an incredible amount into his 51 years, racing motorcycles from 1946 to 1956. He won the Senior TT in the Isle of Man in 1952 and rode for all the top teams, competing in car trials, hill-climbs, rallies and races.
Later he ran one of the biggest motorcycle and car assembly operations in Ireland.
Inspired by relatives, not least his father who ran a motor factors and cycle accessories business, Reg first competed an event in 1945. It was a motorcycle trial organised by Dublin and District Motor Cycle Club. His first actual motorcycle race was in June 13th of that year at Bangor Castle in County Down, where he finished fifth in one of the handicap races.
This was the start of a spectacular racing career which would continue up to the end of the 1956 season. During those 11 years Reg rode for all of the leading teams, including the British AJS, Velocette and Norton companies, the German NSU firm, and the Italian Gilera and MV Agusta racing teams.
He made his Isle of Man debut in the Manx Grand Prix of 1947 at 19 years old riding an 250cc Excelsior. In 1949 FIM World Motor Cycle Road Racing Championships was launched and Reg was contracted to ride in the 350cc and 500cc classes for the prestigious British AJS team.
Reg had the greatest victories of his motorcycle racing career in 1952. He won the Senior TT in the Isle of Man at an average speed of 92.97mph. He also had success on the World Championship taking second place in the 350cc and third in the 500cc. This a mere taste of his vast motorcycling career.
By 1953 he had set up a factory assembling NSU motorcycles off Kevin Street in Dublin. These machines were imported from Germany in parts, and then assembled in his factory. In 1958 he was awarded the contract to assemble NSU Prinz mini-cars which required a move to a bigger premises on Ringsend Road.
In the early 1960s Reg got another major contract from Germany, to assemble Opel cars in Ireland. As was the case previously, the parts, engines, body panels, etc. were imported by sea in wooden crates and assembled into completed cars there.
Reg is most famous for introducing Honda motorcycles to Ireland in 1960 particularly the 50 an icon of Irish transport. These were assembled, firstly in his Halston Street works, then in Long Lane, and later in Ringsend.
The Armstrong business assembled cars and motorcycles until the late 1970s. Sadly, Reg’s life ended tragically in a car crash on the night of Saturday November 24th 1979. The Reg Armstrong group of companies went out of existence in the mid-1990s.
Sources of information
Classicbikehub.uk
imuseum.im
Visordown.com
