Editing Alan Shepherd (section)

==Motorcycle racing career==
[[File:MZ250GP1964.jpg|thumb|left|MZ 250 cc GP as ridden by Shepherd]]

Shepherd was born in [[Keswick, Cumbria]]. His family moved to [[Cartmel]] at the outbreak of World War II. His first motorcycle was a [[Royal Enfield Bullet]] earned from a job doing a milk round with his father. He later moved to [[City of Bradford|Bradford]] where he served as an apprentice cabinet maker. Shepherd was a member of the [[Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team]] during his National Service.

In 1956, Shepherd was persuaded to compete in the Isle of Man TT. He rode his own motorcycle to the dock in Liverpool and took the ferry to the Isle where, he finished in an impressive third place in the Clubmans Junior TT at the [[1956 Isle of Man TT]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events/races?meet_code=TT56&race_seq=2 |title=1956 Clubmans Junior TT results |publisher=iomtt.com |access-date=18 March 2021 }}</ref> Shepherd won the 1958 Junior Manx Grand Prix riding an [[AJS]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events/races?meet_code=MGP58&race_seq=3 |title=1958 Junior Manx Grand Prix results |publisher=iomtt.com |access-date=18 March 2021 }}</ref> He scored a double victory at the 1962 North West 200 when he claimed first place results in the 350cc and 500cc classes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northwest200.org:80/results-1960s.aspx |title=1960s North West 200 results |publisher=northwest200.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408084329/http://www.northwest200.org:80/results-1960s.aspx |accessdate=18 March 2021 |archive-date=8 April 2012 }}</ref>

Shepherd's greatest success came when he joined the East German [[MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk|MZ]] factory racing team led by their lead Development Engineer [[Walter Kaaden]], known for his groundbreaking work in [[two stroke]] engine technology.<ref Name="MCS">''Halcyon days: MZ a potted history'' Alan Turner, Motorcycle Sport and Leisure, No. 577 October 2008, pp114-118</ref> Although MZ provided him with a motorcycle, the impoverished factory struggled to provide much support and, he competed while functioning as his own mechanic. Despite competing on a limited budget, Shepherd managed to win the season-opening 250cc [[United States motorcycle Grand Prix|United States Grand Prix]], held at the [[Daytona International Speedway]] then, placed second to [[Honda]]'s [[Jim Redman]] at the [[1964 Isle of Man TT|Isle of Man Lightweight TT]] to finish the [[1964 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season|1964]] 250cc world championship season in third place behind the powerful [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]] and Honda teams represented by [[Phil Read]] and Redman.<ref name="Alan Shepherd profile"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.motogp.com/en/gp-results/1964/usa/250cc/rac/classification |title=1964 250cc United States Grand Prix Classification |publisher=motogp.com |accessdate=13 April 2024 }}</ref>

In 1964 when a resident of [[Grange-over-Sands]], Lancashire, England, he was allowed to keep his MZ&nbsp;125&nbsp;cc [[Single-cylinder engine|single cylinder]] and MZ&nbsp;250&nbsp;cc [[Straight-twin engine|twin cylinder]] machines as part of his earnings due to currency difficulties with [[East Germany]]. He offered these two MZ for sale through [[The Motor Cycle|''Motor Cycle'']], a UK weekly magazine.<ref>[[The Motor Cycle|Motor Cycle]] 24 September 1964, p.593 ''Racing Line by David Dixon. "Who wants to buy an MZ? Alan's address is Appledene, Lindale, Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire''". Accessed 24 November 2014</ref>

Shepherd retired in 1965 after recovering from a head injury suffered in late 1964 when testing a [[Honda RC series|works Honda]] in preparation for the [[Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix|1964 Japanese Grand Prix]]. He told [[The Motor Cycle|''Motor Cycle'']]'s [[David Dixon (motorcycle journalist)|''David Dixon'']] in June 1965 that – whilst he felt fully recovered – he no longer had the confidence to be a top-runner, and would not ride Hondas unless he could give the best possible performance.<ref>[[The Motor Cycle|Motor Cycle]] 3 June 1965, p.742 ''Racing Line by David Dixon. "Alan Shepherd Quits''". Accessed 7 April 2014</ref>

He died peacefully at Summerhill Nursing Home, [[Kendal]], Cumbria in July 2007, with a funeral service at [[Cartmel Priory]] followed by cremation at [[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]].<ref>[http://www.yourannouncement.co.uk/78803 Obituary archive, originally from Westmorland Gazette] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140407190742/http://www.yourannouncement.co.uk/78803 |date=7 April 2014 }}, July 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2014</ref>
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