1939-2026
Dynamic road racer Dave Degens, who ran the performance motorcycle business Dresda Autos in South London and later West Sussex from 1963 to 2019, died in January aged 86.
Dresda was a scooter business when Degens and motorcycle salesman Dickie Boon bought it. Initially, they concentrated on machine preparation and the development of a range of performance parts for British road bikes, particularly Triumphs.
Degens took up road racing in 1959 with help from his precision engineer father. He started scoring wins in 1960 and would go on to race a variety of machinery for a string of sponsor-entrants.
He proved his talent for preparing race machinery by winning the 1965 Barcelona 24-hour international on a self-built 650 Triton (pre-unit Triumph twin engine in a Manx Norton frame). With co-rider Rex Butcher, they beat the works entries on what was essentially a home-built special. The win marked the first all-British victory on the Spanish Montjuic Park circuit and brought customers to Dresda’s door for Triton and other special builds at a time when the British bike café race scene was still in full swing.
Also in 1965, he won the 500-mile production race at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, on a 650 Triumph Bonneville partnered by Barry Lawton, son of entrant Syd Lawton. In 1966, he won the 500-miler again for Lawton, this time at Brands Hatch with co-rider Rex Butcher. Aermacchi importer Lawton also sponsored him on the 250 and 350 Italian singles.
Degens, by now known as Mr Triton, liked the way the Aermacchis handled, scoring many victories. This inspired him to create what, in effect, was a miniaturised Triton. He designed a compact, lightweight frame based on Aermacchi dimensions, incorporating Norton Featherbed style top members. The first time out with a 500cc unit Triumph twin engine, he won the 1969 Scarborough Gold Cup main event.
In 1970, using a 650 Triumph engine in a Dresda lightweight frame, he won the Barcelona 24-hour again, beating even stiffer works opposition, co-rider was Ian Goddard. This second heroic victory cemented the Degens-Dresda legend.
At the end of the 1970 season, Degens decided to concentrate on business. Lead French endurance race team, Japauto commissioned him to build race frames, and mid-1970s Honda UK asked him to build a Honda-4 race special. He was later given a Honda franchise.
At one time he had 12 members of staff, and he had registered Dresda as a manufacturer.
The 1980s burgeoning classic bike road and race scene saw Dresda enjoy a second wave of British performance bike business. In 2019, Degens, aged 80, decided to retire. Covid put negotiations in limbo for a possible takeover of the business by former staff Guy Fithen, Russell Vann and Steve Seager. Four years later, the trio re-opened Dresda in Ashford. Current customer projects include three Dresda lightweight Honda-4s, a Matchless twin, and Dresda lightweight frame kits that will accept a variety of engines.
Total Dresda production since the 1960s, says Fithen, has so far reached “about 600 Dresda framed motorcycles, another circa 1000 Tritons in Norton frames, and 500 or so engines in adapted frames from Norton, Honda, Suzuki, etc. Over 2000 in total.” The Degens-Dresda legend lives on.