The original W E Wassell Limited was established in 1946 by W E (Ted) Wassell after being de-mobbed from the Navy in 1945. The Company was incorporated in April 1956.

Originally, nearly all the parts sold were replacement spares for all the popular British motorcycles, but in later years, various spares and accessories for Japanese motorcycles were added.

During this period, the market was worldwide, though the majority of sales were actually in North America. The Company employed a full quota of 8 full-time sales representatives for the UK, with senior management facilitating the European, Australasian, and North American markets.

The original rented premises were in Birmingham, where Wassell traded for several years before moving to its own premises in Springhill (Birmingham 18). In 1967, purpose built premises were constructed in Burntwood, Staffordshire covering 67,000 sq ft, as the Springhill premises had become far too small.

While the majority of the Burntwood site was used as warehousing, in 1976 a manufacturing division was also constructed, to begin the production of a comprehensive range of steel fabricated products and accessories. The site also compromised its own printing and marketing department.

Wassell's beautifully formed alloy tanks and fenders had for years been the chosen item for a generation of home built special and kit bike builders the world over, and there wasn't a small production British trials or motocross machine that didn't possess some form of Wassell componentry.

~Oo> This is my Wassell fuel tank that I welded up...

At the 1972 Manchester Motorcycle show, for the first time, Wassell showcased it's beautifully built trials and scrambles frame kits, for the popular BSA Bantam 125/175 two stroke engine. The success of these kits prompted Ted to start production of complete motocross, enduro, and trials bikes. With the help of ex-Dalesman engineers Jim Lee and Peter Edmonson, Wassell unveiled the 125 Sachs powered trials and motocross machines in late 1972. Both models were originally sold in the UK with a list price of £315.

The Company had built some 3000 off-road motorcycles, many of which were exported to the U.S. Via John Penton under the Penton Mudlark mark, and via Mitsubishi renamed as the Tyran Antelope. The Antelope featured Ceriani style 35mm forks, REH conical hubs, Dunlop chrome steel rims, Girling shocks, Doherty levers, grips, and throttles, and Wassell's own 1.5 gallon alloy fuel tanks and fenders.

This is the 125 Sachs engined production bike.

And one of the original 100 frames built to take a BSA Bantam engine.