Ted Stolarski

Farewell Ted

 7 July 1928 – 30 September 1994

Written by Richard McDowell in 1994.

Ted Stolarski was one of WA Motorcycling’s real characters and his passing away in September left something of a gap in the local scene that may never be filled again.

Not only was Ted involved in selling motorcycles, but he actually had an emotional attachment to them, perhaps even an obsession when it came to Moto Guzzis. His particular love for this one marque was incredible and there can be little doubt that Ted’s efforts to push and profile the make were the best seen in any market sector around the globe.

Ted’s Early Life

Born to city dwelling Polish parents in 1928, Ted Stolarski grew up in uncertain times. His father, an officer in the Polish army, died when Ted was quite young, while his mother is known to have worked in the then equivalent of the tax department.

The young Ted received a decent education and was also privately schooled in economics and accountancy. Probably of more interest to this story however, is that from an early age he was interested in mechanics and would frequently be found tinkering around with push bikes and even motorised vehicles.

World War II

The history books teach us that Poland played a pivotal role in the start of WWII, with Ted only eleven years of age when his country was invaded. Like many other boys and young men at the time, Ted soon found himself in the Polish underground fighting to get the Germans out of his beloved country. It’s not known exactly what activities Ted was involved in, but we can be sure it wasn’t as glamorous as in the movies.

Unfortunately the German war machine caught up with Ted in 1943 when he was captured during a guerrilla operation. Being a civilian, he was deported to Germany and the infamous forced labour camps. Learning quickly that people who were useful had a better chance of survival, Ted made no secret of his mechanical abilities and was placed on the production line at the DKW factory in Zschopau.

DKW

One of the World’s largest manufacturers of motorcycles in the 1930s, DKW [“Das Kleine Wunder” - German for “The Little Wonder”] were the true pioneers of the two-stroke. They won the Lightweight class at the 1938 Isle of Man TT on a supercharged 250cc two-stroke featuring all manner of technical innovations. DKW also manufactured two-stroke cars in the pre-war era and it is believed that, although used as forced labour, young Ted was ‘looked after’ by one of DKW’s top men and that he was allowed to learn and see things in regards to DKW’s advanced engineering prowess at the time.

Another interesting story concerns Ted’s liberation from the Germans. Apparently he was asked to drive a rich lady to her house some miles from the DKW Zschopau factory, an errand that would require him to be away for a night. Sometime while Ted was gone, the Russians made their move on the Zschopau area and it’s interesting to note that the DKW factory in this location became the East German MZ factory after the war. Always the survivor though, Ted ended up working for the American Occupation Forces in their motor pool.

Ted Migrates To Australia

Immigration to the USA was popular at the time, but in 1949 Ted headed Down Under and landed at the Northam migrants camp to discover that he would have to work three compulsory years for the Australian Government. Somehow a local wreckers run by a Bill Page became involved in proceedings and Ted’s involvement with all things mechanical continued.

Ted eventually acquired a brand new Triumph 100 – believed to be the first in Australia – while still under his three year ‘contract’ in Northam and was soon participating in a variety of events. It is known in fact, that throughout the 1950s, Ted raced speedway and road raced at ‘Around the Houses’ meetings in Kalamunda and York.

Motorcycle Industry

With his compulsory three years completed, Ted moved down to Perth and worked in a business called General Accessories on Murray Street. It was his first proper involvement with the local motorcycle trade, General dealing in Vespa, CZ and Jawa machinery. Here he worked for six years before becoming a partner in a motorcycle repair shop on James Street.

This then led to Ted starting his own business on Milligan Street which became the very first Stolarski Motorcycles. From here, Ted built his business up and in the late 1960s moved around the corner to Hay Street, a location that would ultimately become his first Moto Guzzi shop and the meeting place for the Motorcycle Racing Club of WA.

Personal Life

Business aside, Ted had by this stage married Dulcie and he also achieved a personal ambition in tracking down his mother. Many of us today will never know the effects WWII had on families across Europe, but thanks to the efforts of the Red Cross, Ted was able to locate his mother and bring her to a new life in Australia. Ted never regretted moving Down Under and enjoyed a lifestyle that also saw him develop a passion for gold prospecting.

Moto Guzzi

Ultimately his business moved into Victoria Park and Ted became more heavily involved with Moto Guzzi, putting together in his later years a couple of rather special machines that toured the country and which were the very essence of Thunderbike Racing – a truly Australian road racing category. Ted also campaigned his race bikes in America and New Zealand with great results.

Ted’s machines were not just special because of their Magni frames, but for the four-valve per head engines that they carried. It is indeed a measure of the deep contacts Ted had developed with Moto Guzzi when you consider that he sourced his engines at a time when even the most renowned motorcycle journalists in the world couldn’t get Guzzi to admit that they were even thinking about such powerplants.

Ted’s Magni Guzzis gave way of course to the Daytona 1000 model and the Guzzi 4V powered Magni Australia; and it somehow seems fitting that when Ted left this life, Nick Phillips was en route with a Daytona to a race meeting in the Northern Territory. And who could ever argue that wouldn’t be the way Ted would have wanted it?

The character of the big Guzzi (s) will no doubt be lighting up the tracks in 1995, but it sure seems a pity that Mr. Moto Guzzi Australia himself won’t be trackside.

Rest in Peace Ted.

Footnote: We are indebted to Ted’s cousin, Mr. George Carbow, for most of the information in this story. George spent much of the war with Ted and came with him to Australia in 1949.