Vintage Joseph Lucas headlight Lamp M40 / CSL year please???

[sidecar 151]

Can anyone date this lamp for me?  I have had plenty of M41 brass lamps but never seen this type?  More detail photos can be seen on good ole EBAY 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320718713194&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

The lamp is brass with ammeter and wound coil inside ??


Many Thanks

[rogerwilko]

Can't find it here, that's all i have. 

[33d6]

I had a quick and dirty look through some of my old Matchless spare parts lists and found the M40 headlamp was standard equipment on the 1931 models D and DS. The D series Matchless of those days were the bottom of the range bread and butter end of the Matchless line up. The fancy Silver Hawk, Silver Arrow, the vee twin etc, etc used the Lucas H52 but the cheap end used the M40.
I think your seller's right in thinking it is from around the late 20's, early 30's period.
Also according to my Matchless spares list Lucas did the self contained  version as shown plus one where the relevant switches etc, were fitted to a tank panel so you got a plain headlamp minus all the gadgets.
It would appear then that the M40 is the Lucas economy model headlight of the day.
Hope this is of some assistance, looking further will take time and if you want to bid on it time is in short supply.
Cheers, 

[R]

Some Royal Enfield models of the early 30s also used a MP40 headlamp - not sure precisely which model - like the Matchless range, these were the smaller models, with the Lucas points-in-generator system. Mostly they had the switches in the tank though, so possibly not this model headlamp. Hopethishelps.

Note that I have amended this post, closer examination reveals Enfields used an MP40 headlamp, which I am assuming is probably not the same...

Be nice if all this Lucas info was gathered together somewhere ?

[TWOSTROKING]

l have just purchased a 1931 Royal Enfield model A.  Strangely enough the bike has a Lucas type M40 fitted to it, however this is wrong for the model A as i now have two headlight switches and two ammeters, as the RE has a small panel fitted in the tank for the switch and ammeter.  What it should have is the same type of Lucas headlight but without any fittings (MP40 perhaps?)  I would imagine therefore that if the M40 headlight was fitted to any lightweight RE models it would have to be for those without the panel in the tank, but i think most used the same style tank throughout the 30s.