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The Douglas Engineering Company was founded in Bristol in 1882 and specialised in blacksmithing and foundry work.

One of their customers, Light Motors Ltd, developed and manufactured a single-cylinder bicycle engine and then a 200cc in-line, flat-twin for its Fée (French for Fairy) motor bicycle on which a chain drive transmitted power to a countershaft and from there via a belt to the rear wheel. When Light Motors went out of business in 1907, Douglas acquired the manufacturing rights to Fée, which by then was called the Fairy, and produced a 340cc, in-line, flat-twin model with atmospheric inlet valves and direct drive to the rear wheel. The engine was mounted high in the frame but the frame was modified to mount it lower in 1910 at which point the machine evolved from a motor bicycle to a motorcycle with sprung front forks. In 1911, on some models, the pedals were deleted, footboards were added and there was provision to mount an optional, two-speed gearbox under the motor with a hand change lever on top of the fuel tank. A clutch and a hand starter were also options. In 1912 the inlet valves became mechanically operated and in 1913 the engine bore was enlarged to take it to 349cc and rated at 2 3/4hp.

The 2 3/4hp model continued in production until 1926 with many minor upgrades and with transmission options that included either a two- or three-speed gearbox, the latter of which could be equipped with a clutch. The company supplied large quantities to the military, who sold surplus stock after the war so that several earlier models came to the market alongside the latest offerings. In 1923, the two-speed model was designated the ‘TS’ while the three-speed with clutch was the ‘W’ and the ‘3SC’ featured a three-speed gearbox and all chain drive. 1926 was the last year of the belt drive TS.

This 1926 TS was acquired for the Nelson-based NZ Classic Motorcycles collection via an auction in New Zealand in July, 2008. It was acquired by Classic Motorcycle Mecca in May 2016.