Property of a deceased's estate, 1926 Brough Superior 981cc SS80 De Luxe Project

Registration no. TO 2980 Frame no. 417 Engine no. KT/C 95312/S

• Non-original engine and gearbox
• Present ownership since circa 1981
• Offered for restoration

While equalling a Rolls-Royce for quality of construction and finish, in spirit the Brough Superior was more akin to the sporting Bentley. Not an unwieldy beast intended primarily for sidecar duties like the majority of its v-twin-engined contemporaries, the Brough Superior was, in its maker's own words, "a type of machine designed from the experienced solo rider's point of view". To prove the point, Brough lost no time in demonstrating his machine's capabilities in the most attention-grabbing way possible: by racing at Brooklands. Introduced in 1922, the JAP-powered SS80 (so-called because of its guaranteed 80mph top speed in road trim) achieved instant fame when a stripped-for-racing version (nicknamed 'Spit and Polish') ridden by George became the first sidevalve-engined (flat head) machine to lap the Surrey track at over 100mph. Even more surprising was the fact that this landmark figure had been achieved on its maker's Brooklands debut.

Brough entered the 1930s with an entirely JAP-powered range, and then, after a brief absence, the SS80 re-appeared in 1935 as the SS80 Special, this time with an engine built by Associated Motor Cycles. Similar to that of the Matchless Model X, the 982cc sidevalve v-twin incorporated Brough's preferred 'knife-and-fork' big-end bearing arrangement instead of the side-by-side connecting rods of the Matchless. The SS80 continued to use the AMC engine until production ceased in 1939.

Its accompanying copy Works Record Card shows that frame number '417' formed part of an SS80 De Luxe despatched to G C & J L Howarth of Sale, Cheshire on 26th March 1926. When the accompanying old-style logbook was issued in 1965, it was noted that the Brough had last been taxed in 1933. The Brough Superior Club first heard of 'TO 2980' in 1973 when it was purchased by club founder-member the Rev Michael Staines. By 1975 the SS80 had passed to one J B Davidson of Finchley, London N3, who kept its (non-original) engine when he sold the Brough's cycle parts to D W Belvoir of San Jose, California in 1976.

Dating from early 1928, the (non-Brough) engine with the machine today was acquired by the late owner circa 1981 soon after he bought the engine-less project from Jan Barton of San Jose, California and brought it back to the UK. The gearbox likewise is non-Brough but is of the correct type and dates from mid-1925. Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed, this exciting Brough project comes with an old-style V5 registration document and the aforementioned logbook and Works Record Card copy. The registration 'TO 2980' is recorded in the DVLA and HPI databases; nevertheless, prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's registration status prior to bidding.
Offered without key