1930 Brough Superior 986cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sports

Legendary superbike of motorcycling's between-the-wars 'Golden Age', Brough Superior – 'The Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles' - was synonymous with high performance, engineering excellence and quality of finish. That such a formidable reputation was forged by a motorcycle constructed almost entirely from bought-in components says much for the publicity skills of George Brough. But if ever a machine was more than the sum of its parts, it was the Brough Superior.

W E Brough's machines had been innovative and well engineered, and his son's continued the family tradition but with an added ingredient - style. The very first Brough Superior MkI of 1919 featured a saddle tank - an innovation not adopted by the rest of the British industry until 1928 - and the latter's broad-nosed, wedge-profiled outline would be a hallmark of the Nottingham-built machines from then on. Always the perfectionist, Brough bought only the best available components for his bikes, reasoning that if the product was right, a lofty price tag would be no handicap. And in the 'Roaring Twenties' there were sufficient wealthy connoisseurs around to prove him right. One such was T E Lawrence – 'Lawrence of Arabia' – who owned several Broughs and was killed riding an SS100.

Introduced in 1922, the JAP-powered SS80 achieved instant fame when a racing version ridden by George became the first sidevalve-engined machine to lap Brooklands at over 100mph. With the new SS80's performance threatening to put the overhead-valve MkI in the shade, it was decided to completely redesign the latter. The result was the legendary SS100. First shown to the public in 1924, the SS100 employed an entirely new overhead-valve 980cc JAP v-twin engine. A frame of duplex cradle type was devised for the newcomer, which soon after its launch became available with the distinctive, Harley-Davidson-influenced, Castle front fork patented by George Brough and Harold 'Oily' Karslake. And just in case prospective customers had any doubts about the SS100's performance, each machine came with a written guarantee that it had been timed at over 100mph for a quarter of a mile - a staggering achievement at a time when very few road vehicles of any sort were capable of reaching three-figure speeds.

With this level of performance available in road trim, it was only to be expected that the SS100 would make an impact on the race track, particularly the ultra-fast Brooklands oval, and the exploits of Brough Superior riders - among them Le Vack, Temple, Baragwanath, Fernihough and Pope - did much to burnish the marque's image. When Brooklands closed forever at the outbreak of WW2, Noel Pope's Brough Superior held both the sidecar and solo lap records, the latter at an average speed of 124.51mph.

Success in an altogether different branch of motorcycle sport resulted in one of Brough's most iconic models: the SS100 'Alpine Grand Sports' or 'AGS'. Introduced in September 1925 for the 1926 season, this new machine took its name from the Austrian Alpine Trial, the 1925 event having been contested by a number of SS100s, one ridden by George Brough himself, resulting in the award of six cups, including one for 'Best Performance'. The introduction of the Alpine Grand Sports coincided with that of a new frame for the SS100, and the AGS came as standard with a lower compression ratio (making it more suitable for touring), a small fly-screen and a pair of tool boxes.

Brough entered the 1930s with an entirely JAP-powered range and then in 1936 the SS100 was redesigned with an engine built by Associated Motor Cycles, in which form it continued until production ceased in 1939. Lighter and faster than the subsequent Matchless-engined version, the JAP-powered SS100 has long been regarded as the ultimate incarnation of this famous model.

One of only 21 JAP-engined SS100s produced in 1930, this example has the highly regarded Bentley & Draper sprung frame and is offered with an extensive history file. The Copy Works Record Card shows that it left the factory attached to a Cruiser sidecar and destined for Sears Garage. It retains matching vehicle registration number, frame, engine and tank numbers - with only the gearbox being non-original. The machine is reputed to have raced at Brooklands, as suggested by the presence of a foot-operated gear change; however, this has never been conclusively verified.

The earliest ownership document on file is a somewhat illegible scan of a 1956 continuation logbook listing the owner's name as what appears to be 'John Raymond Binns'. The machine's history remained unknown to the Brough community until 1977 when it was acquired by the second-to-last owner (see letter on file suggesting some history known within the BSOC as far back as the 1950s).
In 1989 the Brough was auctioned as part of Guy Shoosmith's 'Gangbridge Collection' (see catalogue description on file). The machine was subsequently acquired by Manchester-based businessman, the late Eddy Shah (1944 – 2025), who in 1986 had founded the then technologically advanced UK newspaper Today, and the short-lived tabloid, The Post.

It is understood that Mr Shah purchased the Brough Superior primarily to obtain its registration number, 'MY 2654', which was briefly transferred to his Range Rover. Consequently, the Brough was left in storage at the workshop of a local Vintage vehicle restorer. During a visit to the workshop, the late Vaughan Gaskell, already a highly regarded motorcycle collector, immediately recognised both the machine and its significance as a top-of-the-range SS100 Alpine Grand Sports. In February 1998 he was able to purchase it as part of a private treaty sale arranged by Brooks auctioneers (paperwork on file). At the time of acquisition the Brough was registered as 'SV 4983'. The original registration number, 'MY 2654', was subsequently recovered from the DVLA, as documented in the BSOC correspondence on file.

Following his purchase, the late Mr Gaskell commissioned extensive restoration work. This was carried out by the well-known and highly respected Brough expert, Dave Clark, commencing in 1999 and proceeding through the early 2000s (see Dave's copious notes on file). We are advised that Vaughan never had the opportunity to cover significant mileage on the motorcycle following its restoration and, as such, it remains substantially as restored by Dave Clark.

A long-time enthusiast and custodian of three Brough Superiors, Vaughan Gaskell counted this Alpine Grand Sports as among the finest in his distinguished collection. He sadly passed away in 2019, after which Bonhams dispersed his motorcycle collection, including a highly coveted Brough Superior SS80 and 11-50.

Since his passing, this SS100 has remained within the immediate family, who have now decided to offer the Alpine Grand Sports for sale, affording its next custodian the opportunity to enjoy and use the machine as George Brough originally intended.

In 2026 the motorcycle received further detailing and now presents extremely well; nevertheless, careful recommissioning will be required before further use. When Bonhams collected the machine on 2nd September 2026, it started on the second kick. A short video of the Brough running may be viewed on the Bonhams web site.

The motorcycle was also recently inspected by Howard Wilcox of the Brough Superior Club, to whom we are extremely grateful for his generous assistance and technical advice, including the provision of a starting-instructions video. Prospective purchasers are welcome to contact the Motorcycle Department should they wish to view this footage. It should be noted that, apart from the V5C, all accompanying paperwork takes the form of copies.

For the serious collector, opportunities to acquire a genuine 1930 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sports of this calibre are exceptionally rare. One of just 21 JAP-engined examples produced that year, with matching major components, outstanding provenance, extensive documentation and long-term enthusiast ownership, it represents a cornerstone acquisition destined for even the most discerning collection.

Such motorcycles seldom reach the open market, making this a truly unmissable opportunity.

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