Description
This motorcycle is Lot 28 to be auctioned by Bonhams at the Timed-Online January Sale, please see the Bonhams website for full details. The timed online auction runs between January 17th through January 27th, with lots closing from midday January 27th 2025.
Public Viewing:
Available 22nd January 2025 from 09:00 until 17:00, by appointment only at Bonhams Milton Keynes.
Lot 28
1949/ 1951 Vincent-HRD 998cc Comet/ White Shadow
Registration no. VMT 716
Frame no. RC/ 1/ 8218 (Rear frame no. RC6464B)
Engine no. F10AB/ 1A/ 3240 (Crankcase mating no. DD9 / DD9)
Genuine Series-C White Shadow engine
Considerable expenditure on refurbishment since acquisition
Centre stand and Alton 12V generator
"Well into the 1960s and even today, when it is wrapped in a mystique carefully cultivated by thousands of fanatically enthusiastic owners, the big Vincent retained that commanding air about it when you met one on the road, and many a rider of avowedly super-sporting machinery would be humiliated by having some much older Black Shadow come past at the canter..." - L J K Setright.
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.
The appeal of the Vincent, and the 120mph-plus Black Shadow in particular, lay in its ability to outperform 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.
As Vincent enthusiasts will know, not every Shadow-specification machine left the factory with the distinctive black-finished engine, those few that did not being known as 'White Shadows' and identified by '1A' in the engine number (Rapides are '1', Black Shadows are '1B'). Only a relative handful of these White Shadows is known to exist today, a total of around 16 being listed with the Vincent Owners' Club.
The VOC has kindly confirmed that engine 'F10AB/ 1A/ 3240' is originally from a Series-C White Shadow despatched from the factory to the Greens dealership in Newton Abbot on 16th December 1949, while upper frame 'RC/ 1/ 8218' is originally from a Series-C Comet despatched to the Millars dealership in Mitcham on 12th March 1951. Rear frame 'RC6464B' is originally from a Series-C Black Shadow despatched to the Humphreys dealership in London on 3rd August 1950. It is believed that the registration 'VMT 716' was originally associated with this rear frame ('VMT' is a London/ Middlesex registration) but there is no definite proof.
Owned by our vendor since August 2022, 'VMT 716' is an older (pre-1980) restoration that has benefited from considerable further refurbishment and expenditure over the course of the last two years, as evidenced by numerous invoices on file. It also benefits from new wheels built by 'Willis Wheels' of Essex and new stainless-steel exhaust from 'Armour Motor Products' of Bournemouth (receipts on file). Last run in October 2024, the machine offers the considerable added benefits of a centre stand and an Alton 12V generator (receipts on file).
In addition to the aforementioned correspondence the history file contains the following, current V5C Registration Certificate; VOC dating certificate; copies of original factory paperwork; VMCC dating certificate (1997); expired MoT (2014); expired tax discs; old purchase receipts; and numerous registration-related correspondence between previous owners and the DVLA.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
