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LOT 435

Property of Eric Patterson, AMA speed record holder c.1960 Viscount 1,000cc Registration no. not registered Frame no. TS10 Engine no. F10AB/1B/7470

Sold for £63,250 inc. premium
Lot 435

Property of Eric Patterson, AMA speed record holder,c.1960 Viscount 1,000cc
Registration no. not registered Frame no. TS10 Engine no. F10AB/1B/7470

Property of Eric Patterson, AMA speed record holder
c.1960 Viscount 1,000cc
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. TS10
Engine no. F10AB/1B/7470

• One of a handful built in the early 1960s
• Tuned Black Shadow engine
• AMA speed record holder

"Apart from the many efforts of private owners, there have been several attempts to combine the best of the old and the new and build Vincent-based machines on a commercial basis. As far back as 1960 the Somerton Viscount was produced. Comprising a Black Shadow engine in a Norton featherbed frame and cycle parts, maker Tom Somerton (sic) hoped to go into production with the Viscount but it was not to be. Estimates of the number of Viscounts he produced vary from 'just the one' to 'five or six', with the latter figure being preferred." – David Wright, 'Vincent The Complete Story'.

Reputedly, this very special Black-Shadow-engined Vincent-based motorcycle was originally built by Peter Darvill. Subsequently it was sold to Somerton Engineering who registered the machine and converted it to Viscount specification. It was then sold to Peter Ross, a Vincent Owners' Club member from South London. When the current vendor bought the machine from Peter's widow, it had been off the road, garage stored, for over 20 years. The Viscount was ridden on the road for quite a few years and then in 2013 the vendor decided to get it ready to take to the Bonneville Salt Flats to participate in the famous speed trials. The engine was rebuilt with special pistons (12:1 compression), racing cams, a John Surtees gearbox cluster, and a Bob Newby belt primary drive and clutch.

The team also fitted a Vincent rear wheel in place of the original Norton Manx item so that drive sprockets could be swapped quickly. The AMA record of 131.68mph set by the vendor on this Viscount still stands. The accompanying full history includes newspaper cuttings and other material, and the machine comes complete with the genuine Manx rear wheel, original fuel tank, mudguards, and oil tank.

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 V5C and old style log book.

Additional information

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  • 19 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
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