Charlie Collier

Charlie Collier

Motorcycle Grand Prix Career
Nationality	British
Active years	1902 - 1914
Team(s)	Matchless
TT Race Wins	2
Podium finishes	3
Pole positions	N/A
Fastest laps	1
First Race	1902 Canning Town Matchless
First Race Win	N/A
First TT win	1907 Isle of Man TT Race
Last TT Race win	1910 500cc Single & 750cc Twin
Last TT Race	1914 Senior TT Race

Charles R. Collier (1885 – 1954) Plumstead, London a British motorcycle racer famous for winning the Isle of Man TT races 2 times in his career. Along with his brother Harry Collier he raced Matchless motor-cycles manufactured by his father's company H.Collier & Sons. After racing in continental Europe in the 1906 International Cup Races, Charlie Collier became the winner of the first Isle of Man TT Race in 1907. After setting a number of world motor-cycle records on Matchless motor-cycles, Charlie Collier won another Isle of Man TT Race in 1910 and later became the first competitor to be disqualified from an Isle of Man TT Race for illegal refuelling. Later, Charlie Collier became a joint managing director of AJS and Matchless motor-cycles and died in 1954.^[1]

Racing career

First race was in 1902 at the 3½ mile Canning Town cycling track riding a Matchless motor-cycle with an MMC engine. After leading until the last lap, a burst tyre caused a crash and Charlie Collier suffered friction abrasions. In 1905, along with his brother Harry Collier participated in the eliminating trial for the International Motor-cycle Cup held in the Isle of Man. Held on a 25 mile section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course the event was won by J.S.Campbell. Although, Harry Collier managed to qualify, the Matchless motor-cycle with a JAP engine which Charlie Collier had specially built suffered a broken connecting-rod and was forced to retire.

After racing in the 1906 International Cup, Charlie Collier and his brother Harry, entered a new motor-cycle event in the Isle of Man in 1907 for road-touring motor-cycles. The new race was to be held on the St John's Short Course with two categories for single and twin-cylinder motor-cycles. The 1907 Isle of Man TT race and the single cylinder-class was won by Charlie Collier riding a Matchless motor-cycle in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. His brother, Harry Collier also riding a Matchless motor-cycle had problems with an engine seizure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.^[2]

Single Cylinder race

Tuesday 28 May 1907 - 10 laps (158.00 miles) St John's Short Course.

Rank	No	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	4	Charlie Collier	3½ hp Matchless	38.21 mph	4:08.08.2
2	2	Jack Marshall	3½ hp Triumph	36.60	4:19.47.3
3	1	Frank Hulbert	3½ hp Triumph	35.50	4:27.49.4

TT Race Victories

Year	Race & Capacity	Motorcycle	Average Speed
1907	Single-Cylinder	Matchless	38.21 mph
1910	500cc Single & 750cc Twin-Cylinder	Matchless	50.63 mph

TT career summary

Finishing Position	1st	2nd	4th	DNF
Number of times	2	1	1	4

Sources

1. ^ TT Special 1953 edited by G.S.Davison page 22
2. ^ The Motor Cycle dated 5th June 1907 p.446

External links

• TT database rider profile iomtt.com
• TT database TT results iomtt.com