Property of a deceased's estate, 1950 Vincent 998cc Series-C Black Shadow

Registration no. LRO 538 Frame no. RC5738B Rear Frame No. RC5738B Engine no. F10AB/1B/3838 Crankcase Mating No. FF47 / FF47

• Matching numbers
• Present family ownership since 1987
• Stored since 2005
• 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 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 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 Vincent Owners' Club has kindly confirmed that this matching-numbers Series C Black Shadow was despatched to a dealer called Humphreys in London in April 1950. The old V5 on file shows that its late owner registered the Vincent on 17th October 1987, the previous keeper being listed as Mr Richard Armstrong of Hertford. The Shadow's condition when purchased by the vendor's late father is not known, but the machine now presents as an 'older restoration' that would benefit from detailing (note the crankcase breather modification). Invoices on file suggest that it was subject to a rolling restoration or simply maintained to a good standard. The odometer displays 5,256 miles, presumably since restoration. SORN'd since 2005 and last taxed until 31.5.2005, the machine has remained off the road since then and will require re-commissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before further use (the engine turns over). Sold strictly as viewed, the Shadow comes with a substantial file of documentation to include sundry invoices, expired MoTs and tax discs, copy Works Order Form, old/current V5Cs and a Rider's Handbook. It should be noted that the V5C incorrectly records the frame prefix as 'R8' (R8/5738B).
Key not required