Offered from the estate of the late Alain de Cadenet, 1954 Vincent 998cc Series-C Black Shadow

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.

This Black Shadow was stored in a sealed container that was involved in a fire. While it appears that the flames did not directly touch the machine, it would have been exposed to considerable heat. That said, the tyres were still holding air when the machine was removed from the container and the engine also turned over with compression. Bonhams makes no guarantees regarding the structural integrity, safety, or internal condition of this motorcycle, which is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should also note that the motorcycle retains a strong odour consistent with smoke exposure, which may cause a reaction for some individuals.

Unfortunately, there is no accompanying paperwork or registration document (it would appear that any documentation stored with the machine did not survive). However, it does appear on both the HPI and DVLA databases. Accordingly, prospective bidders must satisfy themselves as to the validity of the Vehicle Registration Number prior to bidding and are responsible for applying for a replacement V5C registration certificate. The Vincent Owners Club has confirmed that 'F10AB/1B/10554' and 'RC12454B' is a Series-C Black Shadow manufactured in 1954. As the engine number is greater than 10,000, the factory records are missing; however, Oxford Council records (not held by Bonhams) show that the Vincent was registered as 'VJO 647' on 13 August 1954, and it was most probably sold through Kings of Oxford. This Black Shadow is known to the VOC, having last been reported to the club 27 years ago.
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