AMC was the parent company founded by Francis-Barnett Colliers and James Colliers, better known as the Colliers brothers. At one point in the life of AMC, even Norton came under its umbrella, which explains the many similarities between some of their designs.
The Matchless G9 in the Museu do Caramulo, designed by Phil Walker, was unveiled for the first time in 1948 when it also gained the name Super Clubman. The G9’s large rear suspension, known as the “Jampot,” gave the bike much better handling and superior ride quality against the AJS 20, its main competition.
According to the English magazine “The Motor Cycle”, the new Super Clubman cost 254 pounds when it was launched—in today’s money, that would be more than 6000 pounds. Portugal also saw its fair share of Matchless bikes when Manuel Vidal began to import them into the country.
The company continued to make changes to the detailing on the bike since its introduction in 1948. In 1951, the plastic logo plate was integrated into the fuel tank design. Changes in 1952 however were driven by restrictions imposed by the British government, when all motorcycles had to be painted black.
The Matchless G9 exhibited in the Museu do Caramulo is equipped with the S350 sidecar from the German manufacturer, Steib.
This bike was donated to the Museu do Caramulo by Vasco Pinto Basto and Carlos Duarte Ferreira.