1937 Vincent-HRD 500cc Series-A Comet

Registration no. FJO 290 Rear Frame no. D1428 Frame no. D1428 Engine no. C494

• Rare pre-war Series-A single
• Restored in 2010
• Present ownership since 2012

The Vincent-HRD marque originated in 1928 when Philip Vincent acquired the name and assets of the recently liquidated HRD Company. ('HRD' stood for Howard Raymond Davies, the Isle of Man TT winner who had founded the firm in 1924). Vincent moved production from Wolverhampton to Stevenage and set about putting his motorcycle design ideas into practice, commencing with an innovative sprung frame that would remain a feature of Vincent motorcycles until production ceased in 1955.

Like Davies before him, Vincent relied on proprietary engines until increasing dissatisfaction with suppliers led to the creation of Vincent's own in 1934. An overhead-valve, 500cc single, this all-new power unit was designed jointly by PCV and his Chief Engineer Phil Irving. Messrs Vincent and Irving brought fresh thinking to the design of what would become known as the Series-A motor, opting for a relatively short stroke of 90mm coupled to an 84mm bore; a high-set camshaft and two guides for each valve with the rocker arm engaging between them; the sum of all these features resulting in a compact engine with considerable scope for tuning. The names 'Comet' and 'Meteor' were chosen for the sports and touring versions respectively of the stylish new Vincent-HRD, which had not even been started, let alone ridden, when it was first exhibited at the 1934 Motor Cycle Show at Olympia. Fortunately, during the Show a tester achieved a speed of 90mph on a Comet, a highly respectable figure for a 500cc sports roadster and one that fully justified Philip Vincent's prior performance claims. In the 1935 Isle of Man Senior TT, the new Vincent-HRDs finished in 7th, 9th and 12th places, demonstrating that they possessed reliability as well as speed. Sales increased steadily, but the Vincent was an expensive product and ownership remained the privilege of a wealthy few. Production of all Series-A Vincent-HRDs ceased on the outbreak of WW2, and today the pre-war Comet and Meteor – the machines that effectively kick-started the Vincent legend – are highly prized by discerning collectors.

Manufactured in 1937 and first registered in March 1938, this Vincent-HRD Comet was restored in 2010 and is described by the private vendor (its owner since September 2012) as in 'tip top' condition. The machine comes with a history file containing a dating certificate; assorted correspondence; a quantity of expired MoTs and tax discs; old insurance documents; old/current V5/V5C documents; and a purchase receipt (1949) when it was bought by Arthur G Gibb.