Grand Prix Legends Blog

Belstaff was founded in 1924 by Harry Grosberg who was based in Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire. The original Belstaff product range included waterproof items for men and women. Belstaff began to concentrate their production on protective wear for motorcyclists based on their high technology fabrics. Belstaff became the first company to use totally waterproof yet breathable fabric, which they call Wax Cotton, this was fine Egyptian cotton treated with natural oils. Though Belstaff also have a Belstaff leather jacket range.

In the 1930s Belstaff concentrated on developing their fabrics to be windproof, waterproof and resistant to strong friction. With these developments Belstaff specialised in garments for aviators, bikers, the army and others who worked or played in active outdoor activities. It was also at this time that Belstaff expanded to produce goggles, gloves, boots, helmets and bags all designed with safety and protection in mind.

In 1943 Belstaff began production in their purpose built Silverdale factory. Traditional manufacturing processes were retained out of respect for English tradition, which is why Belstaff jackets hold their value.

The Belstaff Trialmaster is perhaps one of the most famous jackets produced by Belstaff. The Belstaff Trialmaster jacket also known as the Tourist Trophy jacket or Trailmaster jacket was introduced in 1947. This Belstaff jacket was worn by people such as motorcycle champion Sammy Miller, grand prix rider Phil Read and Ernesto Che Guevara who used it during his journey across Latin America. The Belstaff Trialmaster jacket has been produced in dark black/brown/green and antique beige. There is also the Belstaff leather Trialmaster jacket in aged leather for a worn in classic look.

Belstaff jackets from the 1950s and 1960s are now highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts and in 1960 Belstaff were the only manufacturer of protective motorcycle clothing to produce their garments in 100% natural fabrics.

The start of the 1990s saw the introduction of the Belstaff ‘Evolution’ range of jackets. The English textile industry crisis affected Belstaff and the Belstaff Staffordshire factory was forced to close. Production of the Belstaff jackets and protective wear moved to a factory in Wellimborough and design of the Belstaff collection was taken over by Franco Malenotti.

In 2005 Belstaff jackets and garments achieved wide media coverage with many box office films featuring Belstaff jackets in their films. Belstaff items were requested for such films as Batman Begins, Blade Trinity, The Interpreter, Tomb Raider II, Oceans 12 and War of the Worlds. It was also at this time that Belstaff launched the Aviator by Belstaff Collection, based on original Belstaff pieces in the Belstaff museum. Original materials were used for authenticity and it was Belstaff jackets from this collection that were chosen for the film The Aviator starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes.

By 2006 Belstaff had a successful worldwide market reaching Japan, the far East, Russia, US, Australia and South America. The opening of the Belstaff flagship store in London’s west end marked Belstaff’s return to the top.

2008 continues to see the Belstaff jacket as a top motorcycle and protective jacket, which is still a top choice for movies today, with Indiana Jones, Wanted, The Dark Knight and Hellboy II all using Belstaff jackets and garments in their costume range.

The 2008 Belstaff Pure Motorcycle Collection features the new Long Way Down jacket. This Belstaff Long Way Down jacket was created by Belstaff with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boreman specifically for their latest adventure. The Belstaff jacket was designed with three separate components to allow the two adventurers to face all conditions they would be likely to experience on their journey. Cordura 1500 was used as the main fabric for the Belstaff Long Way Down jacket thanks to its high protection qualities and suitability for European climates. The inner section of this Belstaff jacket consists of a special extra strong mesh with breathable, water-resistant outer layer allowing the riders to cope with extremes of the African climate, with soaring temperatures and torrential downpours.

A fantastic range of Belstaff jackets, wax-cotton jackets, Nylon jackets and Belstaff leather jackets are available at Grand Prix Legends. Top of the range Belstaff jackets such as the Belstaff Trialmaster, Belstaff Long Way Down jacket and the Belstaff Mojave (Brooklands) jacket are highly popular and continue to live up to the standards of quality and style that were so highly set with the original Belstaff jackets. Click here to view the Belstaff jacket range.