Property of a deceased's estate, c.1951 Vincent 998cc Series-C Rapide

• Assembled from parts
• Present ownership since 2020
• Dry stored since acquisition
• Requires recommissioning

When Vincent resumed production at the war's end it was with the all-new Series-B. Its rear suspension aside, the Series-A Vincent-HRD had been conventional enough: tubular steel frame, girder forks, separate gearbox, etc but with the Series-B Messrs Vincent and Irving effectively established the marque's reputation for the defiance of convention in the pursuit of engineering excellence. For a start there was no 'frame' as such, merely a fabricated box attached to the cylinder heads that served as the oil tank and incorporated the headstock and attachment point for the rear springs. The gearbox was integral with the engine, and the swinging arm pivoted directly in the engine/gearbox casings, features commonplace today but unusual 60 years ago. Only in his retention of the pre-war Brampton girder fork did Phillip Vincent appear to be lagging behind other manufacturers, almost all of which had switched to telescopics. Introduced in 1946, the Vincent-HRD Series-B Rapide was immediately the fastest production motorcycle on sale.

In 1948 the Vincent range began to be up-dated to Series-C specification. The most significant changes made concerned the suspension, there being a revised arrangement at the rear incorporating curved lugs for the seat stays and hydraulic damper between the spring boxes, while at the front the new models boasted Vincent's own 'Girdraulic' fork: a blade-type girder fitted with twin hydraulic dampers. These advances began to find their way onto production models during 1948 but it would be 1950 before all Vincents left the factory in Series-C specification.

The Rapide offered here has been assembled from parts: the upper frame 'RC9637/C' is from a Series-C Rapide despatched to the Copes dealership in Dudley in October 1951; the rear frame is from a Series-C Comet despatched to a dealer called Bannister in Chatham in November 1950; and the engine 'F10AB/1/7638' is from a Series-C Rapide despatched to a dealer called Blacknell's in Nottingham in September 1951. 'XVV 234' is an age-related registration number.

The late owner acquired the Vincent in 2020, since when it has been kept dry stored. Following a period of inactivity, the machine will require recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent before further use and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Accompanying documents include a current V5C; DVLA SORN correspondence; 2017 VOC letter relating to age-related registration; 2017 VOC dating certificates (x2); and 2016 email correspondence from previous owner John Renwick to the VOC Machine Registrar.