Vincent got it's start in 1928 as HRD, as in Howard Raymond Davies, the founder. When his world class motorcycles were fast and elegant, they were not profitable--in stepped Philip Vincent and a name change to eliminate confusion with Harley-Davidson and HRD, and The Vincent was born! When the very clever Phil Irving joined the company, now housed in Stevenage, England, the pair were about to create history by building the very best machine they knew how.

The Vincent features a Girdraulic fork with center damping and springs in the smaller tubes behind the girder. The brakes are 7" drums front and rear with quick detachable wheels. That big, hulking 998 cc V-Twin engine hangs from a spine frame. The front end pulls away as a unit. Clever features abound on The Vincent, and it's always been a treat to see a Vincent, whether it's a Comet, a Rapide, a Shadow, a Prince or a Black Lightning 'in the metal'. It's a rarity to see them on the roads these days. Every once in a while at a cycle rally, you might find a Vincent that's been modified with disc brakes and a windscreen and is being used for long distance touring. The Vincent is one of a small group of big, lumpy V-Twins that are as suitable now as they were in period for this purpose.

The build sheet: 998 cc of V-Twin power, producing 55 bhp @5700 rpm. It was capable of pushing the 447 lb Rapide to over 110 mph. Friction dampers control the rear suspension action. Clever under seat twin shocks provide good, controlled movement of the swing arm. A six volt 40 watt generator is driven from the clutch. The triangulated cantilever suspension foreshadowed Yamaha's Monoshock system by twenty plus years.

The Vincent awaits it's rider to hit the open road.

Large 150 mph speedometer was indicative of the aspirations of the company for the machine. Rider Rollie Free made history in his bathing trunks sprawled out on a Vincent racing across the Utah Salt Flats. George Brown was breaking world records in Europe at Monthery, France banked track in 1952. The Worlds Fastest Motorcycle was more than just an advertising slogan!!

It was just three short years after this bike was produced that Vincent was no more. By 1955, the innovative designs of Phil Vincent and company could not be sold profitably and still be priced competitively. There's been an upsurge in prices recently and also a new generation discovering The Vincent these days.

This fine original example is a 1953 C Rapide Touring model. It is a matching numbers bike, upper and lower frame numbers as well as engine cases. It is being sold with the original carburetors, as well as manifold adaptors, cables and twist grip. John Healey (Coventry Spares) did the bottom end with new crank pin and bearings, new pistons, rings, valves and guides, with a Ducati type aftermarket clutch. The motorcycle is reported to be an excellent runner and a lot of fun to ride. Selling with title.