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

Registration no. LVU 982 Frame no. RC8723B (see text) Rear Frame No. RC8723B Engine no. F10AB/1B/6823 Crankcase mating no's. PP99

• Present ownership since 1970
• One owner from 1958-1970
• Believed an older restoration
• Requires re-commissioning

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 Series-D 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 saloon was barely capable of reaching 70mph, and 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 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 particular Black Shadow comes with an old-style continuation logbook listing only one keeper from date of issue (1958) until its purchase by the late owner in 1970. Additional documentation consists of the 1970 purchase receipt and an old V5 document. Currently displaying a total of 3,869 miles on the odometer, the Vincent appears to be an older restoration and is offered for re-commissioning. It should be noted that the upper frame has been stamped with a non-factory font and is assumed to be a replacement. The rear frame and engine both belong to a Series-C Black Shadow built in May 1951, and the crankcase mating numbers are correct.