What a joyous and friendly-looking machine this is.

Pre-war machines are generally brimming with charm, but this BSA, with its huge toothy grille framed by big separate headlamps, packs more personality and charm than most into its compact dimensions.

It’s a rare survivor too; with only about 500 Series 6s being constructed at least 80 years ago now, very few now remain.

However, this one has lasted well.

Registered in February 1939, it has managed to endure through one world war - not exactly the easiest of times for motor vehicles - and get through the advent of the MOT test in 1960, which culled many pre-war machines.

While a lot of the Scout’s early life isn’t known, by the 1990s, it seems to have fallen into the hands of the real BSA enthusiast, judging by the correspondence in the history folder.

There is a blurry photograph in the file of a Scout in several large pieces on the back of a trailer; while it’s not clear if this is ‘our’ BSA, it would help explain why, in 2000,...