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

• Assembled from parts
• Modern crankcases
• Believed present ownership since the 1980s
• 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 an 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.

This Vincent's upper and rear frame numbers are those of a Series-C Rapide built in November 1950 and despatched to Cowie in Sunderland, while the crankcases are modern replica components that have been stamped with entirely spurious numbers. Something he wanted to create for a long time, the machine was assembled by the late owner as a useable Vincent utilising the aforementioned modern crankcases. The age-related registration was issued in 1987. No other history is known. Recommissioning will be required before the Rapide returns to the road. Sold strictly as viewed, the machine is offered with old/current V5C documents.
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