Aero Collectors - this is what a 30 year old Aero Motorcycle Jacket Looks Like !

[Plumbline]

The Aero Motorcycle Jacket ( following the 1987 commission from Tussauds ) became something of an icon .... however Aero was making M/C jackets before 1987 but few ever come up in good condition. So imagine my surprise last week when one ( very badly described) one came up on ebay .. it looked like it had the printed ( not woven) label and French "Ailee" zipper which according to my info placed it around 1984/5 ... a very early one indeed

It was a bit dirty and had some light surface marks but was worth a punt so I bought it .. and here it is in all its glory Given that it's seen 30 years of use it's in remarkably good nick with othe only signs of wear and tear along the bottom edges of the cotton drill lining which has worn in places .. still not tatty or needing replaced ..... but with a huge amount of character and with the Conolly leather showing why it was such a great hide for this application.

It weighs in at a smidge under 1.7Kg and measurements are as follows ( all taken with jacket zipped and laid flat) :

Back - 27" ( 68cm)
Pit - Pit - 25.5" (65cm)
Shoulder - Shoulder - 20" (50cm)
Pit - Cuff - 17" (43cm)
Shoulder - Cuff - 25" (63cm)
Waist - 21.5" (54cm) ... with belt done up it comes down to 18.5" ( 48cm)

It's labelled a size 44" .. but unfortunately it's more of a 46" and will need to go to the classifieds / ebay ... but thought you guys would like to see it before it does

 

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[nick123]

I like it. There's something appealing about an aged jacket that experiences little color loss over time.

 

[Edward]

Aero do this style really well. Looks like this one suffers from the same 'problem' as the one I have (and must get aroun to selling) - that crazily tight waist (relative to the chest size). On the 42, it's about 36" - significantly tighter than 30s Halfbelt, which is by no means a boxy design! I get the idea behind it, but it's a shame, because it's hands down a better jacket by far than the Schott Perfecto 613/618 (which is in itself really nice, just not on a par with the Aero). Don't see too many of these in the wild.

 

[Plumbline]

This has plenty of room in the waist Edward ... I'm a 34" ( 36" over my jeans and Sweatshirt and it's loose on full adjustment on the belt ) ..... it's a really big made 44" ( significantly bigger than my 44" 50's HB )

 

[Edward]

As I recall, they're reasonably square right down and then suddenly nip in at the waist... the 42 is grand on me right down to that point!

 

[mendelboaz]

The jacket would look better with a slimmer fit throughout... Like the J106, I'm expecting a two tone version in 5 weeks. I'd bet the MC jacket wouldn't look bad on athletic builds, though. I love my jackets to be skintight at the waist and don't mind a bit looser chest. Any chance of fit pics?

Edward; I remember seeing your Aero MC and it is lovely. Great jacket.

 

[Plumbline]

Not sure fit pics on a jacket that is much too big are going to add anything ( steady boys .... Before you all say " all of your jackets fit like that ! " )

. I simply posted it to show what a 30 year old Aero jacket ages like ...... I have never seen a 30 year old Aero jacket posted before .... Normally they're all brand new or at most several years old .....

 

[handymike]

Plumbline, you've been pampering that baby !
Where's the crazy Patina????
Nice jacket sir!

 

[Plumbline]

Always .... they all get pampered Mike.

A lot of what was on it when it arrived was road/ general dirt not patina ... dirt is not patina ... dirt is dirt ! ( I never understood the kick it around the floor it looks cool philosophy) kick it round the floor by all means but clean it before you wear it again .... ( Scott leather cleaner sorted the dirt out)

...... the rest a light application of Renapaur took care of ( it's 30 years old it was probably due some conditioning ) ... oh and 4 brass eyelets on the belt ( 2 were missing so I replaced all 4) and a wipe down inside with a damp sponge and it was good to go ... took about 40 mins.

What it has NOW is patina

 

[Monitor]

I really appreciate you taking the time to post this, Plumbline, as there are so few pictures of genuinely old Aero jackets floating around - plus, Aero's MC jacket is probably my favorite version of this style. I've been watching this particular jacket on eBay, great to see it in good hands. Though, I may be wrong, but it looks like a cow to me. The leather really resembles steerhide jackets that occasionally appear on Aero's used section...

Should anyone care, for comparison purposes, here are a few photos of a brand new, albeit slightly modified, MC jacket of mine that I got earlier this year: http://s866.photobucket.com/user/DogLizard/library/Aero MC
For starters, I can see that the chest pocket is at a much smaller angle.

 

[handymike]

The Conelly Steerhide really made for beautiful jackets!

 

[Plumbline]

Just to clarify ...it is Conelly Steerhide ( which was used extensively in early Aero's ) it mic's up at 1.0 -1.3 mm ( 2.8 -3oz based on the general rule of thumb that 1/64th" or 0.4mm = 1oz ) and is utterly pliable unlike the stiff as a board horsehide and steerhides we see today.

If only a jacket could be made from new from aged leather ........ rather than washed or tumbled which just isn't the same

 

[Superfluous]

If only a jacket could be made from new from aged leather ........ rather than washed or tumbled which just isn't the same

That's why original Bucos and Becks command such a hefty price -- their ain't no substitute for naturally aged leather.

 

[cloudylemonade]

We've been making Bike Jackets since 1984 but this one is several years later, and actually the Ailee zippers were regularly used between 85 and 87, with the odd ones still being fitted as late as 1989.

As for the label, this was Aero’s third cloth label, following the original text only label and the first Globe label. The “Car, Bike & Plane” label was based on graphics found on an old Oil Can and re-designed by Ken and Joy Summers in 1987 a few months after the Madame Tussauds jacket was commissioned.

The sleeves look very short so we think this one must have been a special order.

 

[Plumbline]

Interesting ........ thanks Holly, did the Ailee zippers preceed the big A zippers .... I was always of the belief that the Big "A" zippers came first ( from the knitting firm) and then the Ailee zips ???

i've also sent some pics to Steve and Will @ Alexanders to see if they have any further detail they can add. Would be great to find an actual date of manufacture if it was a special order.