Bicycle and Motorcycle Cigarette Cards (Collectibles)

I've been collecting and selling early trading cards, cigarette cards and related collectibles for over twenty years. Before you read this guide please subscribe to my card collecting newsletters for updates on rare cards and tips on buying by Clicking Here, thank you.

There is only one pre WW2 cigarette card set that was devoted purely to bicycles and cycling, as far as I know. Player's "Cycling", issued in 1939, charts the history of the bicycle from the legendary hobby-horse through to 1930s cycle racing. Bicycle cards also appear in general sports, transport and invention card sets such as Churchman's "Kings of Speed", issued in 1939, Will's "Famous Inventions", issued in 1915, etc.

Many more sets were issued on motorcycles but, due to high demand, most are increasingly difficult to find these days.

I've listed a small selection of sets containing bicycle and motorcycle cigarette cards and vintage trading cards below. I've provided scans of a sample card from each set and tried to include all card titles.

Name Of Set: Sports II With Hidden Objects S462

Manufacturer: Liebig Extract of Meat Co

Issue Year: 1895

Card Number: 6

Card Titles: -

Name Of Set: Special Troops I, S510

Manufacturer: Liebig Extract of Meat Co

Issue Year: 1897

Card Number: 6

Card Titles: -

Name Of Set: Travel One Hundred Years Ago and Now

Manufacturer: Liebig Extract of Meat Co

Issue Year: 1904

Card Number: 6

Card Titles: -

Name Of Set: Motor Cycles

Manufacturer: Lambert and Butler

Issue Year: 1923

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: AJS Passenger Combination, Allon,American X, Ariel,BAT, Beardmore-Precision, Bradbury, Brough Superior, BSA, Cedos, Chater-Lea, Clyno, Coventry-Eagle, Coventry Victor Super-Six, Diamond, Douglas, Dunelt, Excelsior, FN, Harley Davidson, Hawker, Henderson, Humber, Indian Super- Chief, Ivy, James, Lea-Francis ,Levis, Martinsyde, Matchless, Ner-A-Car, New-Hudson, New Imperial, Norton Big Four, NUT, OK Junior, Omega, P & M, Quadrant, Raleigh, Rex-Acme, Rover, Royal Enfield, Rudge-Multi, Scott Squirrel, TT Sunbeam, Triumph, Velocette, Wooler, and Zenith Super-Eight.

Name Of Set: Famous Dirt-Track Riders

Manufacturer: Ogdens

Issue Year: 1929

Card Number: 25

Card Titles: Frank Arthur, Jack Bishop, Cecil Brown, Hilary Buchanan, Clem Cort, Tom Croombs, Paddy Dean, Sprouts Elder, Roger Frogley, Buzz Hibberd, Vic Huxley, Noel Johnson, Jim Kempster, Gus Kuhn, Billy Lamont, Alf Medcalf, Frank C. Pearce, Art Pechar, Reg Pointer, Mart Sieffert, Dicky Smythe, Eric Spencer ,Charlie Spinks, Ben Unwin, and Colin Watson.

Name Of Set: Motor Cycles (NZ)

Manufacturer: WD and HO Wills

Issue Year: 1926

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: New Gerrard, A.J.S., P & M.Ner-A-Car, Chater-Lea, Quadrant, Montgomery, AJR, Excelsior, James, Bradbury, Raleigh, Brough Superior, BSA, Scott, Rex-ACME, Triumph,Connaught, Zenith, Velocette, New Imperial, Sun, Humber, Ariel, HRD, Coventry Eagle, Matchless, Douglas, Grindlay, OK, Carfield, New Hudson, Calthorpe, Rover, Royal Enfield, NUT, Cedos, Cotton, OEC, Rudge, Diamond, Sunbeam, Norton, Radco, Francis-Barnett, Levis, Dunlet, Omega, Ivy, and Coventry Victor.

Name Of Set: Speedway Riders

Manufacturer: John Player and Sons

Issue Year: 1937

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: Joe Abbot, Arthur Atkinson, Phil Bishop, Gordon Byers, Dicky Case, Frank Charles, Eric Chitty, Eric Collins, Tommy Croombs, Billy Dallison, Jack Dixon ,Acorn Dobson, Frank Goulden, Stan Greatrex, George Greenwood, Max Grosskreutz, Morian Hansen, Bob Harrison, Vic Huxley, Ron Johnson, Nobby Key, Wally Kilmister, Bill Kitchen, Gus Kuhn, Billy Lamont, Eric Langton, Ginger Lees, Walter Lloyd, Cordy Milne, Jack Milne, Mick Murphy, George Newton, Jack Ormston, Jack Parker, Cliff Parkinson, Tommy Price, Geoff Pymar, Claude Rye, Jack Sharp, Harry Shepherd, Dick Smythe, Tiger Stevenson, Fred Strecker, Lionel Van Praag, Frank Varey, Colin Watson, Bluey Wilkinson, George Wilks, and Dicky Wise.

Name Of Set: Cycling

Manufacturer: John Player and Sons

Issue Year: 1939

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: Pedestrain Hobby Horse, Lady's Pedestrian Hobby Horse, Macmillan's Lever Driven Bicycle, Sawyer's Velociped, Michaux Velocipede, Coventry Rotary Tricycle, Singer Tricycle, Salvo Tricycle, Lawson's Bicyclette, Sociable Tricycle, Post Office Centre Cycles, Invincible Bicycle, Rucker Tandem Bicycle, Rover Safety Bicycle, Invincible Tandem Tricycle, Olympia Tandem Tricycle, The First Pneumatic Tyred Bicycle, FT Bidlake, Simpson Lever Chain, Companion Safety Bicycle, Bicycle of nineteenth century, Pacing Triplet, Novel Tandems, Lady Cyclist, Dursley Pedersen Cantilever Bicycle, Divided Skirt, Italian Velocino Bicycle, Touring Tandem, Racing Tandem, Path Racing Bicycle, Ligh Roadster Bicycle, Horizontal Bicycle, Road Time Trial Bicycle, American Bicycle, Saddles, Family Tandem Side Car, Cyclists and the YHA, International Cycle Touring, Six Day Racing, Massed Start Racing Position, Track Tandem Position, Touring Position, Road Time Trial Position, Track Racing Position, Road Records, SH Ferris, and Bicycle Polo.

Name Of Set: Raleigh The All-Steel Bicycle

Manufacturer: Raleigh Bicycles

Issue Year: 1957

Card Number: 48

Card Titles: Police Model, Raleigh Dawn Gents - Model II, Dawn,Supreme Dawn Tourist, Dawn Tourist, Dawn Tourist, Superbe Dawn Tourist, Dawn R Tourist, Dawn R Tourist, Road Safety De-Luxe, Road Safety De-Luxe, Trent Sports, Trent Sports, Sports Light Roadster, Sports Light Roadster, Sports Tourist, Sports Tourist, Superbe Sports Tourist, Superbe Sports Tourist, Lenton Tourist, Super Lenton, Lenton Sports, Lenton Sports, Trent Tourist, Junior Boys - Space Rider, Junior Girls - Wendy, Junior Boys - Space Rider, Junior Girls - Wendy, Winkie Trycycle, Junior Boys - Space Rider, Junior Girls - Wendy, Boulevard Tourist, Trent Sports (Derailleur), Raleigh Popular, Raleigh Popular, Raleigh Balloon Model, Raleigh Popular, Raleigh Canadian Model 99, Raleigh Patent Front Fork Lock, Raleigh Patent Anti- Vibration Plate, Raleigh Seamless Bottom Bracket, Raleigh Fork Crown, Superbe Model Lighting Equipment, Stainless Steel Rims and Spokes, Reg Harris, and Cyril Peacock.