c1949 ACME 125cc Motorcycle (AMENDED)

Description

The Australian ACME motorcycle was assembled in Wentworth Avenue, Sydney by Bennett & Wood in the 1940s using a proprietary 125cc engine by Villiers, Dunlop wheels and other imported components, while the locally-made frame was similar to a number of contemporary British lightweights. Bennetts, who had previously built and sold both bicycles and motorcycles under the Speedwell brand name, were also the BSA importers for New South Wales and retired the ACME in 1949 with the introduction of the Birmingham-made Bantam. Sold using the advertising slogan “5 miles for a penny” from May 1939, the ACME proved an affordable method of motorised transport for Australians during and immediately after the Second World War and an example remains on permanent display at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.