Rod Coleman

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Junior - A.J.S.
Senior - A.J.S.

Age 25, New Zealand’s Rod Coleman is one of the official A.J.S. works team members for the 1952 T.T. A motor-cycle dealer from Wanganui, Rod began riding with standard machines in his home country in 1947. He first came to the Isle of Man in 1949, but a crash in practice made him a non-starter. However, he benefited in his visit by being able to take home with him a 7R A.J.S. and a Velocette. With these two machines he promptly won five major New Zealand races.

Back in the Island last year he rode an A.J.S. into eighth place in the Junior T.T., averaging 85.26 m.p.h. The in the Senior T.T. he held fifth place at the end of five laps with an average speed of 88.66 m.p.h., but bad luck struck – his chain snapped, and the record books show only “non-finisher”.

Riding 350’s on the Continent he was fourth in the Dutch T.T. and sixth in both the French G.P. and the Grand Prix des Nations. In New Zealand this year he set up race and lap records on a Norton in winning the Senior event of the Patea T.T.
(TT Special, 9 June 1952, p.9.)

Junior - AJS
Senior - Norton

Age 24, a motorcycle dealer from Wanganui, New Zealand. Rod Coleman started racing on standard machines in 1947 in his home country.

In 1949 he came over to the Isle of Man, but a crash in practice prevented him from starting. However, he took back to New Zealand a 7R AJS and a 500 Velocette, and proceeded to win five major New Zealand races on these machines.

He is one of the official New Zealand representatives entered by the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union, and his machines are new 1951 models.
(TT Special, 4 June 1951, p.10.)

Nationality: New Zealander

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