Cotton/Cross Cougar

For decades through the 1940`s, 50`s & 60`s Villiers had supplied their engines to almost all of the British 2 stroke motorcycle manufacturers. As far as the competition aspect of the motorcycle industry was concerned the old adage was true. “Win on Sunday, sales on Monday”. Whether is was Greeves, Francis Barnett, DOT, James or any other manufacturer, they were all supplied with a Villiers engine and would make their own modifications or `fettle` to obtain maximum performance. Cotton Motorcycles at their factory in Gloucester were in exactly the same position as their competitors, using the same Villiers engines. Pat Onions the Works Director in Gloucester knowing the achievements of Roland Cross particularly regarding providing the special cylinder barrel, piston and piston rings for a 250cc Cotton ridden by Eric Fernihough and Charles Mortimer to set 12 new World Records at Brookland in 1935 took what was to prove to be a momentous decision. Driving the 40 miles from Gloucester to meet Roland Cross in Bath he asked the question. “Mr. Cross, what can you do to give us `the edge` over our competitors?” This resulted in Roland Cross designing a special aluminium liner-less cylinder barrel and a revolutionary spiral piston “ring” fitted onto a uniquely designed piston. This arrangement, Roland believed, would overcome the power loss attributed to two stroke engines when very hot or a high revs. The design was an amazing success with Cotton works rider Bryan “Badger” Goss winning a succession of races, particularly the Somerset Grand National Scramble in 1961 where he `swept the board` winning every event. The Cotton/Cross Cougar exhibited is the project bike from the Cross Manufacturing Company museum. Exhibited by kind permission of Richard and Edward Cross.