[CR]Sun/Armstrong connection? (and some other Sun info and questions)

(Example: Production Builders)

To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Julius Naim" <julius.naim@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 09:33:51 +0000
Subject: [CR]Sun/Armstrong connection? (and some other Sun info and questions)

Hi All

Many thanks to Mick Butler for the wonderful history of Sun/Parkes (c/ o Philip Easton). http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=classicrendezvous. 10701.1393.eml I hope this info will be added to the Sun page as an update shortly.

Does anyone know what connection there was between Sun and Armstrong?

The head badges are very similar, I have a Sun (Worksop) from 66; http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7243/3469/1600/image-6.jpg and an Armstrong badge is shown on the CR page; http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Armstrong.htm

Apart from them both originating in Birmingham I don't know anything else. Were there other marques that shared the design?

Anyway back to Sun. The info on Sun after the BCC take over seems rather sketchy. I've been piecing bits together and so far all I have is the following (thanks to Jeremy Mortimer's Carlton site);

1961 Production of Sun Cycles is transferred to Worksop. (Run by Carlton management) 1962 In August the Dock Road factory is all but destroyed by fire. By November production resumes in a former timber mill on the outskirts of Worksop at Kilton; http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/history/images/factory-3-1.jpg

As you can see from the factory picture the prominence of the Sun marque on the factory exterior was equal to Carlton, internally this seemed not to be the case. Carlton production ended in 1981 (along with the Kilton factory in Worksop) and the Sun marque was kept in production by Raleigh into 1986.

Arguably the history of Sun after it was absorbed into TI isn't of real relevance/interest anyway however it would be nice to have a complete story/timeline. There's nothing I can find on the rest of Sun's history so anyone who has any information on Sun's Worksop years please let me know. Model names and numbers, catalogues etc.

Finally going back to my Sun; I've never known it's model and had it since the late 80s when I was 11 (it was far too big for me, my mother had the typical 'you'll grow into it' view) I managed to date the frame to 1966 from it's frame number 5566T following the same Worksop dating as the Carltons. This makes sense from dating the Williams chainset ZF48 to 1965. The original cream, bronze and blue paint-work had no marque decals, I think all it had a reynolds decal on the seat tube, so don't know anything more about it. The paint-work was identical to the Huffy Corsair and the frame looks so too; http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Carlton/CarltonHuffy.htm The Carlton Corsair is a completely different frame so the name Corsair probably doesn't have any relevance. The 1966 price list is here; http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/details/sun.htm So I guess it must have been one of the models listed. You don't see many Sun's around from this period although I'm sure a lot were produced, the closest I've seen is this Snipe Plus; http://www.renaissancecycles.v21hosting.co.uk/photos/sun_snipe_plus.htm It has the same wrap around seat stays on the frame as mine, along with lots of Worksop frames over many years, the components also look similar but paintwork and decal style seem completely different. Once again anyone with more information please get in touch!

Cheerio

Julius Naim, London UK