Spitfire or Gold Star Spitfire Scrambler?

[bsapete]

G’day,
Having recently bought a 62 A10S Spitfire Scrambler, I have been doing some internet research. It seems there’s a lot of confusion and conflicting information out there, mostly in the way these bikes are advertised for sale. (A lot of these ads are old and bikes have now been sold). From what I can gather the Gold Star Spitfire was only built in 62-63 and used the RGS frame (some say to use up existing stocks with the introduction of the new unit-construction models). A lot of these ads I have come across are for earlier year model bikes (59,60,61) advertised as “BSA Spitfire Scrambler also known as Gold Star Spitfire or RGS Scrambler” which clearly isn’t the case. The latter was built in very low numbers (272) which makes it a very rare bike. It used the RGS frame, minus rear loops for pillion foot pegs, hub/brakes and forks I think.
The Spitfire Scrambler is quite rare also but built in greater numbers over about a 5 year (57-62) production life it appears. Am I getting this correct? Any forum members with an interest and good knowledge of these models? Love to hear from you.

Cheers,
Pete

Ist photo is Gold Star Spitfire
2nd photo is Spitfire Scrambler

[chaterlea25]

Hi Pete,
There are several long topics about Spitfire scramblers on the Britbike forum
Magnetoman has done some indepth research on them .
John

[bsapete]

John, yes have found that info.
Thanks for that.
Pete

[JulianS]

I think that the full width hub GA7A framed Spitfires were made up to about September 1962.

The Catalina/RGS type framed Spitfires followed.

The !963 US East Coast brochure describes it a Spitfire Scrambler not mentioning Gold Star (They already had the Gold Star Catalina scrambler), and the roadster as the Gold Star Twin.

Below from 1963 US East Coast brochure.

[JulianS]

Dig a little deeper and Parts Bulletin N8 from August 1963 shows the scramblers as "A10 Rocket Gold Star Scrambler"

See extract from N8 below.

[bsapete]

Yep definitely confusing until you know what to look for because at a glance the two later machines look very similar. Clearly there’s a number of bikes that are GA7A framed with full width hubs that have been mistakenly advertised (not currently) as the rarer 62/63 Rocket Gold Star framed bikes - easily identified by the 1/2 width Catalina brakes. Obviously there’s a significant difference in the values of the two.
Are there differences mechanically between the last SS of 62 and GSS of 62-63?

GA7A Spitfire Scrambler: