In 1940 the British War Office requisitioned every available motorcycle to replace those lost at Dunkirk. Developed from the pre-war G3, the 'L' in the G3/L stood for 'lightweight' in response to the War Office requirement for a motorcycle more suited to off-road use, as the designers managed to reduce the dry weight of the prototype by 56 pounds (25 kg) (although the later models were not so lightweight due to the additional army equipment that needed to be added). The real innovation of the G3/L was the 'teledraulic' forks, which were the first telescopic design with oil damping - an idea that was to become the standard for almost all future motorcycles. Post war G3/Ls were the military version finished in black instead of green or khaki. Despite its age, the Matchless 350 engine and the bike in general was so well proven and reliable it was able to stay in use by the Ministry of Defence for another fifteen years after the end of the war until replaced in 1960 by the BSA W-B40.

This very nice example resided in a private museum for many years. Ran well when put on display. Would provide hours of enjoyment and conversation for the Matchless collector. Offered with no reserve