09 Aug Where the Term Cafe-Racer Came From
The current Ace Cafe' London
This article was recently sent to us from a friend.
Subject: Ace cafe, where the term “cafe racer” started
This place is at the junction of the old A1 arterial road and the Northern “circular” road that circled London back in the 50-70’s before the new M25 circular Motorway was finished.
Was the birth place of the 59 club and “café racers” who put a record on the juke box and then raced down the North circular to the next roundabout and back to the café “before the record ended”…………..few made it of course but it didn’t stop them trying.
Sadly I missed the “café racer meet” which was on Friday night prior to the Saturday that I took this picture, when the Nissan group had a car show and a bunch of Harley bikes were there on a stop over tour of North London……….just my luck.
All a bit seedy these days and kind of hidden (took me an hour to find it and then another hour to work my way out through the traffic of central London again!!) in a corner as the North circular road has been widened and elevated so the Café is almost on a back road.
Cheers
(name withheld)