1953 Vincent 998cc Black Shadow Series-C

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. Above all else it was the latter 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.

This Vincent Black Shadow formerly belonged to the current vendor's late husband. Strangely, the frame/engine numbers are two digits away from being matching numbers (there is usually a difference of 1900). The RF60 logbook issued in 1959 (six years after the Vincent's date of production in 1953) lists the same frame and engine numbers that appear on the machine today. According to the '1900 difference rule', one would expect that frame '12066' should have had engine '10166'. Or should the frame have been stamped '12068'? According to the Vincent Owners Club Registrar, the frame/engine stamping fonts appear correct for the period, so perhaps this apparent anomaly is the result of a factory stamping error. Alternatively, it may be the case that the engine was replaced early on with one from a bike only two numbers apart, possibly by the factory or a problem with the engine during production and so the next available engine was fitted. Unfortunately, the factory records for motorcycles above engine number '9999' are missing so there are none to check against for this engine or frame. It is quite possibly a mystery that may never be resolved.

Carrying a tax disc that expired on 31st January 2005, and not ridden for circa 20 years, the Shadow will require recommissioning or possibly more extensive restoration following its storage/inactivity and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's originality, authenticity and mechanical condition prior to bidding.

Accompanying documents include the following:

• Old-style V5C Registration Certificate
• RF60 logbook
• Photocopies of old V5/V5C Registration Certificates
• Handwritten purchase receipt (November 2000)
• Expired MoTs and tax discs
• 1993 Bob Culver correspondence
• Various notes/correspondence
• A substantial quantity of invoices/bills dating back to the 1960s
• Old photographs
• Marque related literature
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