Property of a deceased's estate, 1951 Vincent 998cc Series C Black Shadow

Registration no. UNO 187 Frame no. RC/9824/BC Rear Frame Number. RC/9824/BC Engine no. F10AB/1B/7924 Crankcase Mating Numbers. WWI0

• Matching frame and engine numbers
• Present ownership since 1993
• Restored in the 1990s

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. Not until the advent of Jaguar's XK120 was there a production sports car 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.

The Black Shadow was indeed a legend in its own lifetime, and in the 60-plus years since production ceased, the esteem in which this iconic motorcycle is held has only increased, fuelling the demand among discerning collectors for fine examples of the marque, such as that offered here.

This Black Shadow has belonged to the late owner since January 1993. Restored by him over the next few years, the Vincent comes with a most extensive history file documenting the restoration in full (perusal recommended). Although old age prevented the owner from riding the Vincent in his later years (it was last taxed for the road in March 2010), the engine has been started up occasionally. Careful re-commissioning and the customary safety checks are advised before further use. As well as the aforementioned restoration records, the history file contains copies of factory records; a quantity of old MoTs; an old-style V5C document; and a VOC dating certificate confirming matching frame and engine numbers.