LOT 519
c.1953 Vincent 998cc Comet/Rapide Steib S501 Combination Registration no. MTG 245 Frame no. RC/1/11563/B Engine no. F10AB/1/9831
Sold for £41,400 inc. premium
Lot 519
c.1953 Vincent 998cc Comet/Rapide Steib S501 CombinationRegistration no. MTG 245 Frame no. RC/1/11563/B Engine no. F10AB/1/9831
c.1953 Vincent 998cc Comet/Rapide Steib S501 Combination
Registration no. MTG 245
Frame no. RC/1/11563/B
Engine no. F10AB/1/9831
Registration no. MTG 245
Frame no. RC/1/11563/B
Engine no. F10AB/1/9831
Rear Frame no. R2427
• A combination of Comet and Rapide components
• Present ownership since circa 1989
• Drained of all fluids
• Requires re-commissioning/restoration
The outbreak of WW2 in 1939 brought production of all Series A models to a halt, and when Vincent resumed production at the war's end it was with the all-new Series B. Its rear suspension aside, the Series A Vincent-HRD had been conventional enough: tubular steel frame, girder forks, separate gearbox, etc but with the Series B Messrs Vincent and Irving effectively established the marque's reputation for the defiance of convention in the pursuit of engineering excellence. For a start there was no 'frame' as such, merely a fabricated box attached to the cylinder heads, that served as the oil tank and incorporated the headstock and the attachment point for the rear springs. The gearbox was integral with the engine, and the swinging arm pivoted directly in the engine/gearbox casings, features commonplace today but unusual 60 years ago. Only in his retention of the pre-war Brampton girder fork did Phillip Vincent appear to be lagging behind other manufacturers, almost all of which had switched to telescopics, but this apparent shortcoming would soon be addressed by the introduction of the famous 'Girdraulic' fork.
Introduced in 1946, the Vincent-HRD Series-B Rapide was immediately the fastest production motorcycle on sale anywhere, with a top speed of over 110mph. The basic design clearly had even greater potential though, which would be realised later in the form of the Black Shadow and Black Lightning models. In 1948 the Vincent range began to be updated to 'Series-C' specification. The most significant changes made concerned the suspension, there being a revised arrangement at the rear incorporating curved lugs for the seat stays and an hydraulic damper between the spring boxes, while at the front the new models boasted Vincent's own 'Girdraulic' fork: a blade-type girder fitted with twin hydraulic dampers. These advances and other cosmetic differences began to find their way onto production models during 1948 but it would be 1950 before all Vincents left the factory in Series-C specification.
Vincent Owners Club records confirm that this machine consists of the following frame and engine components:
Engine 'F10AB/1/9831' is from a Series-C Rapide that was despatched to the Glanfield Lawrence dealership in Cardiff in December 1952. 'A97V' is the correct crankcase mating number and they suspect the re-stamping is a factory stamping error as the mating number characters look the correct font. 'A95V' is from another engine that still exists elsewhere.
Upper frame 'RC/1/11563/B' is from a Series-C Comet that was despatched to the Joe Francis dealership in Dartford in March 1953, while rear frame 'R2427' is from a Series-B Rapide that was despatched to the Conway's dealership in London in January 1948.
Purchased circa 1989 from a Mrs Linda Curtis of Eastbourne, 'MTG 245' has been drained of all fluids and will require re-commissioning or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before further use. Accompanying documentation includes an old-style RF60 logbook; an old-style V5; a V5C document (listing the current frame number); expired MoTs and tax discs; sundry invoices; and assorted correspondence.
• A combination of Comet and Rapide components
• Present ownership since circa 1989
• Drained of all fluids
• Requires re-commissioning/restoration
The outbreak of WW2 in 1939 brought production of all Series A models to a halt, and when Vincent resumed production at the war's end it was with the all-new Series B. Its rear suspension aside, the Series A Vincent-HRD had been conventional enough: tubular steel frame, girder forks, separate gearbox, etc but with the Series B Messrs Vincent and Irving effectively established the marque's reputation for the defiance of convention in the pursuit of engineering excellence. For a start there was no 'frame' as such, merely a fabricated box attached to the cylinder heads, that served as the oil tank and incorporated the headstock and the attachment point for the rear springs. The gearbox was integral with the engine, and the swinging arm pivoted directly in the engine/gearbox casings, features commonplace today but unusual 60 years ago. Only in his retention of the pre-war Brampton girder fork did Phillip Vincent appear to be lagging behind other manufacturers, almost all of which had switched to telescopics, but this apparent shortcoming would soon be addressed by the introduction of the famous 'Girdraulic' fork.
Introduced in 1946, the Vincent-HRD Series-B Rapide was immediately the fastest production motorcycle on sale anywhere, with a top speed of over 110mph. The basic design clearly had even greater potential though, which would be realised later in the form of the Black Shadow and Black Lightning models. In 1948 the Vincent range began to be updated to 'Series-C' specification. The most significant changes made concerned the suspension, there being a revised arrangement at the rear incorporating curved lugs for the seat stays and an hydraulic damper between the spring boxes, while at the front the new models boasted Vincent's own 'Girdraulic' fork: a blade-type girder fitted with twin hydraulic dampers. These advances and other cosmetic differences began to find their way onto production models during 1948 but it would be 1950 before all Vincents left the factory in Series-C specification.
Vincent Owners Club records confirm that this machine consists of the following frame and engine components:
Engine 'F10AB/1/9831' is from a Series-C Rapide that was despatched to the Glanfield Lawrence dealership in Cardiff in December 1952. 'A97V' is the correct crankcase mating number and they suspect the re-stamping is a factory stamping error as the mating number characters look the correct font. 'A95V' is from another engine that still exists elsewhere.
Upper frame 'RC/1/11563/B' is from a Series-C Comet that was despatched to the Joe Francis dealership in Dartford in March 1953, while rear frame 'R2427' is from a Series-B Rapide that was despatched to the Conway's dealership in London in January 1948.
Purchased circa 1989 from a Mrs Linda Curtis of Eastbourne, 'MTG 245' has been drained of all fluids and will require re-commissioning or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before further use. Accompanying documentation includes an old-style RF60 logbook; an old-style V5; a V5C document (listing the current frame number); expired MoTs and tax discs; sundry invoices; and assorted correspondence.
Footnotes
As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.
Saleroom notices
This lot is offered with a copy old style log book.
Additional information
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