1951 Vincent 998cc Series-C Black Shadow

Registration no. GTP 308 Frame no. RC9239B Rear Frame no. RC9239B Engine no. F10AB/1B/7339 Crankcase mating no. SS75

• All matching numbers
• Only four owners from new
• Present ownership since 1979

Ever since the Series A's arrival in 1937, the Vincent v-twin has been synonymous with design innovation, engineering excellence and superlative high performance. From Rollie Free's capture of the 'world's fastest production motorcycle' record in 1948 on a tuned Series-B Black Shadow to the final fully enclosed Black Knight and Black Prince, Philip Vincent's stress on appearance and performance is legendary. His machines bristled with innovative features, offering adjustment of brake pedal, footrests, seat height and gear-change lever. The finish was to a very high standard commensurate with the cost of the machine, which was virtually double that of any of its contemporaries.

But above all else it was the v-twin's stupendous performance that captivated motorcyclists, whether they could afford one or not. The appeal of the Vincent, and the Black Shadow in particular, lay in its ability to out-perform just about every other vehicle on the road, and in the early post-war years there was nothing to compare with it. This was a time when the average family sedan was barely capable of reaching 70mph, and not until the advent of Jaguar's XK120 was there a production sportscar that could live with the thundering v-twins from Stevenage. With a top speed approaching 120mph, and bettering it in the Black Shadow's case, the Vincent v-twin was quite simply the fastest road vehicle of its day.

Vincent Owners Club records show that Black Shadow 'GTP 308' was despatched from the factory in July 1951 to Jenkin & Purser of Portsmouth. The registration, frame, engine, and crankcase mating numbers are all correct. The original logbook records seven changes of ownership up to March 1977 but between only three owners. The current vendor purchased 'GTP 308' from the last owner listed in 1979 to form the centrepiece of an extensive collection of Vincent motorcycles. Used only sparingly and the last of the vendor's private collection to be sold, 'GTP 308' has not seen active use for some time although the engine has been turned occasionally. Wonderfully presented with only a few deviations from factory specification, the machine would be the ideal centrepiece of any collection. Usual safety checks and general servicing is recommended before returning to the road. Accompanying documentation consists of a current V5C Registration Certificate and the aforementioned original logbook.