A lucky Google search in 2012 identified friends of the late Jim Alves were selling off a number of his ISDT souvenirs. Photos of a number of these can be found on this blog but of particular interest was the FIM Gold Medal Jim won at the ISDT in 1953.

The importance of the 1953 win was that despite the British Team being, what Americans describe as the “winningest” when it come to the International Trophy, this event marks the last year an ACU team won it. Maybe this is one of the visual milestones that pointed towards the end of domination of British Motorcycle Brands. For another 10 or 15 years individual British riders imposed there brilliance on the ISDT results but by 1970 this was either on non British machines or custom workshop handbuilds like the Cheney or TriBSA

For now the 1953 we had never had it so good and this was our last best win of the ISDT, with the team now gone this is an important piece of the tale of the legend they left.

After brief negotiations the vendors were very keen to ensure the medal remained connected to the ISDT and agreement was quickly made for its acquisition by Speedtracktales. The collection grows.