Hi All,
I am confused by the following statement on Wiki concerning the history of the BSA MKlV Spitfires and hope someone can explain:
"A total of 1291 true 1968 model year Spitfires were produced, not counting the 478 'hybrid' 1968 Spitfires that have 1967 style numbers. The 'hybrids' were dispatched in March to May 1968 near the end of the 1968 model year"
The BSA records I've seen state the engine and frame numbers were identical and began A65SB101 so that would mean the last number would be A65SB1292 if correct.
I have a Dating Certificate from the BSA club stating my bike is a BSA 650CC A65 Spitfire MKlV Special built in 1967 and despatched to New Jersey USA in October 1967 and is a 1968 season model. So if Wiki states there were only 1291 true 1968 models produced how come my bikes frame and engine numbers are A65SB25xx e.g. at least 2,500 were made???? Please note my bikes serial numbers do not have any additional suffix "Y" or otherwise.
Regards
Phil
There was only one sequence of production numbers, the number after the model prefix, for all models of the 1968 season twins. Staring at 101 in June 1967 and running into the 10 thousand 9 hundreds at the end of the season in July 1968. There was not a different sequence for each model type. 101 was actually a Thunderbolt.
The first of the 168 A65SB Spitfires left BSA in October 1967 starting with numbers in the 2 thousand 4 hundreds. The Spitfire numbers went up into the 10 thousand 6 hundreds.
Wilki is only as accurate as the information it receives.
Quote from: JulianS on 21 Dec, 2024, 15:15 There was only one sequence of production numbers, the number after the model prefix, for all models of the 1968 season twins. Staring at 101 in June 1967 and running into the 10 thousand 9 hundreds at the end of the season in July 1968. There was not a different sequence for each model type. 101 was actually a Thunderbolt.
The first of the 168 A65SB Spitfires left BSA in October 1967 starting with numbers in the 2 thousand 4 hundreds. The Spitfire numbers went up into the 10 thousand 6 hundreds.
Thanks Julian that now makes sense and means my bike was therefore one of the earliest 1968 MKlV's. I knew Wiki must be wrong but wanted to understand what the real situation was which I hadn't been able to determine elsewhere until you have kindly explained.