classic motorcycle forum

It’s a fine line between ‘manufacture’ and ‘assemble’. Acme erected their own frame. Who made the tubing? Who made the lugs? I would expect Australian made tubing, but what about the lugs? Did buying the Webb forks include the headstock lug? I don’t know.
What about the wheels? The hubs were imported but what about the spokes and rims? I would expect spokes to be made locally but what about the rims? Dunlop were popping them out by the gazillion. Could local manufacture compete given the economies of scale?
So it goes on.
What Bennet & Wood did was no different from many other small motorcycle factories of the time. Lots of proprietary parts but their own vision. I’ll accept ‘maker’.

Last thing. The prewar Acme silencer was merely a Coventry Eagle job mounted upside down. Postwar C/E were gone but there was now a thriving local aviation industry looking for work. Pressing out Acme silencer halves was no different to pressing out lightweight aeroplane bits and pieces. Problem solved.

The booklet "The Story of Bennett and Wood Pty. Ltd." was published in 1949, the year that the company's own Acme motorcycle gave way to the BSA Bantam. Unsurprisingly, the Acme motorcycle is not mentioned at all. But they do comment that the motor cycle factory was established in Wentworth Ave "over ten years ago" - say around 1938/9 - which ties in nicely with the beginning of Acme production for 1939. They could enamel sheet metal (see attached), they had a plating works (shown plating handlebars that they presumably made), they had frame jigs and brazing in the Speedwell Cycle Factory, and a huge spare parts and accessory department. In a nutshell, I believe that they did "manufacture" the Acme motorcycle.

Leon

I've looked pretty hard, but I have no direct evidence of local manufacture. However if a local firm of repute (like Bennett & Wood, one of the best known cycle/motor houses in Sydney for 50+ years) say that their bike is "Manufactured in Australia" there's every chance they are not lying. Simply not worth making something like this up if it isn't (largely) true.

There are comments in the 1939 press like, "... an unusually large proportion of the Acme motorcycle has been locally built" and "In appearance, this newcomer, with its Australian-built frame, is "easy" to look at."

It wouldn't surprise me if the frame was locally built, and maybe guards, tank, spokes, rims, handlebars, levers,... leaving the engine/gear unit, fork, saddle, lights... imported from the UK, then the whole thing assembled here? More or less.

We mustn't forget that there was active industry in Australia at the time. Beginning around 1940, for example, Tilbrook in Adelaide made a wide selection of parts and accessories for motorcycles.

But yes, it would be fun to know exactly what went on!

Leon

And of course the exhaust system as shown on the Powerhouse example is straight James ML...

Yep, but the real Acme setup was different: teardrops pre-war and rayguns post-war.

Leon

It’s a hobby and people pursue hobbies for fun.
If you’re not enjoying it why are you doing it?

Aye !
But thats when you see "abandoned project for sale" "spent $x asking $y"

Where x is greatly more then y
And you ask yourself y did they do that !
As the saying goes - one mans folly is anothers bargain.

A roundabout way of saying keep it as is. ?
I'd have trouble living with that seat but ...