Andy Lee

1935-2025

Andy Lee, former Cambridge motorcycle dealer, professional international motocross rider, and father of 1980 speedway world champion Michael Lee, died in October aged 90.

Nicknamed the King of France because of the number of motocross wins he scored there, Lee’s golden year was 1965, when he was victorious in 32 out of 34 continental internationals. He reckoned it was possible to earn £2000 as a top international, an extraordinary sum at the time, made up of start, bonus and prize money. The French called him La Tour Eiffel because of his 6ft 4in height.

Lee rode professionally from 1960 to 1980, when he retired from top-level events to help his son Michael’s speedway career, preparing his bikes and driving all over Europe and Scandinavia. He managed all this while running his motorcycle businesses.

Lee started in the motorcycle trade in 1953, joining King & Harper of Cambridge, a massive retail empire that sold cars, motorcycles, and domestic goods. Initially, he was a refrigerator salesman but was quickly switched to motorcycles because he was riding competitively and doing well. King & Harper put him on BSA Gold Stars, and he became a local celebrity, scrambles being extremely popular at the time. Because of his height and fame, he was recognised in the street, and it became too much for him.

He left in 1958 to set up a used bike business with sub-agencies in partnership with Ken Covell in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Under Lee & Covill auspices he created the Fenman Special motocross bike using BSA frames and 500 Triumph engines. His off-road career included works supported rides for Matchless, CCM, Rickman and Cheney. He preferred working on his own bikes and reckoned to produce better machines than the works models. His self-prepared 1965 Rickman Matchless became a legend.

It was in 1965 that he moved up a gear in business, setting up Andy Lee Motorcycles in Mill Road, Cambridge, taking on Suzuki and BMW agencies, and later MZ. He relied on his shop manager, Geoffrey Jackson – also ex-King & Harper – to run the shop while he made big money riding on the continent, his winning streak continuing throughout the 1960s. Andy Lee Motorcycles was also a winner, becoming a leading Suzuki agency and winning him a trip to Japan.

The Mill Road premises were much larger than the frontage suggested. Behind the showroom was a large workshop, a used bike section and an area dedicated to motocross machines. Business went so well that Lee rented extra space in a separate premises for overspill machinery. In 1970, he opened a second shop in Royston, Hertfordshire. The total staff at that time was 13.

Wanting to encourage young motocross riders, he created Elsworth Moto Parc near Cambridge, starting the groundwork in 1979. He ceased taking an active part in the trade in 1984 to concentrate on the British championship and son Michael’s speedway career. He sold his shops in 1993 but continued to ride motocross when time allowed, his last event a Pre-65 classic in 1999. In his day, Andy Lee was a giant of the off-road world in both senses of the word.