Numerous motorbike producers popped up within the Twenties and ’30s in Britain, however one way or the other, none fairly as cool as Vincent. Excessive-end velocity machines, combining old-school big-displacement twins, monochrome finishes and titillating names like Rapide and Black Shadow, a Vincent V-twin welcomes you into any roundtable of motorcycling, and it’s not onerous to see why. A seat not often opens on the Vincent Homeowners Membership, much more so once you’re speaking about an ultra-rare first-series Rapide.
One in every of simply 79 constructed, the Collection-A Rapide represents Vincent’s first foray into V-twins—an endeavor that established Vincent as the superbike of the day. There are sooner Vincents, and once in a while extra precious ones, however the rarity and significance of the Collection-A Rapide is difficult to overstate. As such, this restored 1938 Rapide highlights Bonhams’ upcoming Spring Stafford Sale with an estimated hammer worth of $300,854 to $350,997.
Whereas Vincent didn’t pioneer the V-twin, their execution is at the very least worthy of an honorable point out. Philip Vincent’s begin in bikes echoes lots of his friends of the period, turning into considering bikes at a younger age and crafting a number of ‘specials’ of his personal design within the late Twenties. At age 20, Vincent filed a patent for a cantilevered rear suspension design, and with backing from his household, he bought the financially troubled HRD model from Howard R Davies in 1928.
After tacking his personal identify above the HRD brand, Vincent picked up the place Davies left off constructing single-cylinder machines with engines sourced from JAP and Rudge, and using his personal chassis and cantilever suspension. When the third-party engines proved unreliable on the Isle of Mann, Vincent and engineer Philip Irving determined to start out from scratch, ensuing within the 499 cc OHV Meteor engine used within the Comet and Meteor fashions.
However in fact, it’s not the Comet or Meteor that made Vincent an icon, it’s the V-twins, and the powerplant within the Rapide is straight descended from these early singles. Because the story goes, Irving allegedly noticed two stacked technical drawings of the meteor engine, and envisioned becoming a member of their cylinders on a typical backside finish. The ultimate design was a 47-degree V-twin displacing 998 cc, and featured two normal Meteor high ends on new crankcase halves.
Because the present Meteor tooling was used, the entrance and rear cylinders are equivalent, saving considerably on prices and resulting in each exhausts pointing ahead. Two Amal carburetors fed the mill, and dry-sump oiling equipped lubrication by varied exterior pipes and hoses, resulting in the Collection-A’s nickname—plumbers nightmare.
Able to 45 hp at 5,500 rpm, the Collection-A Rapide instantly established itself as one of many quickest bikes cash may purchase. Flat out, the Rapide would greatest the Brough-Superior SS100’s high velocity at 110 mph. Regardless of Vincent’s progressive cantilever rear, each he and Irving believed within the Brampton girder forks, and the Rapide’s entrance finish reportedly supplied mild and tight dealing with.
Keep in mind we’re speaking about triple-digit speeds within the Nineteen Thirties, and as such, the braking items greatest as much as the duty had been 7-inch, single-leading shoe drums—ooof. Counting on power in numbers, the Rapide used a pair of tiny drums up entrance and a single out again. With that in thoughts, it’s stunning that 60-65 of the 79 Collection-A Rapides survive at this time. But when the finished Rapide had a significant fault, it was positively the gearbox.
Contemplating a lot of the Collection-A’s {hardware} got here straight from the single-cylinders (even the chassis was taken straight from the Comet with a number of additional inches within the wheelbase), it’s no shock that Vincent elected to maintain the Comet’s divorced Burman four-speed and triplex chain main drive. Sadly, the gearbox was removed from as much as the duty, and consumers had been suggested to keep away from WOT till the clutch was totally engaged.
Debuted on the 1936 Olympia Motor Cycle Present, only a few potential consumers had been prepared to signal the dotted line primarily based on a brand new producer’s claims—particularly one with a goofy rear suspension. The Vincent works crew did their half to encourage confidence, most notably with ‘Ginger’ Wooden besting the lap document at Donington Park in 1938 and setting a standing quarter-mile time of 11.75 seconds on the Gatwick dash. Nonetheless, solely 79 Collection-A Rapides had been offered earlier than the Stevenage manufacturing facility was retooled for arms in 1939.
Vincent resumed motorbike manufacturing after the conflict with a very reworked Rapide, dubbed the Collection-B, which employed unit development, revised cylinder geometry and the engine as a confused member. Greater than 1,800 Collection-Bs had been constructed, and, in fact, the next Collection C Vincents included the legendary Black Shadow and Black Lightning. Phil Vincent’s machines would go on to smash information and Rollie Free physique surfed his rear fender into the historical past books at Bonneville, besides, the final Vincent motorbike rolled off the road in December of 1955.
Vincent manufactured someplace north of 11,000 bikes between 1928 and 1955, however there are a number of causes this 1938 Collection-A Rapide is predicted to carry such sturdy cash. To start out, there’s the aforementioned rarity being considered one of simply 79 Collection-A Rapides constructed, and most significantly, it’s a numbers-matching machine with its authentic case halves and chassis. It additionally comes with a formidable quantity of documentation, together with complete possession historical past after 1955 that features a few high-profile collectors.
That’s to not say that this explicit Vincent lived a charmed and pampered life, and when the present vendor bought the bike from Japan in 2002, it was by all means a basket case. Regardless of its matching numbers, the bike was largely disassembled, and had clearly been roughed collectively at the very least as soon as prior to now with varied incorrect parts. Complete efforts had been made within the restoration of V1017, too prolonged to listing right here, however relaxation assured they’ve thought-about each element right down to the proper domed glass within the ammeter.
Using a mix of refurbished authentic elements and probably the most correct replacements accessible, it will take probably the most discerning Vincent professional to detect the few particulars that differ from the way in which it left the manufacturing facility in 1938.
The Rapide’s proprietor dubbed it ‘Grunter’ on the completion of its restoration in 2017, and after driving the bike 350 miles, he commented “Suffice to say that there’s advantage and substance to the legend these machines generate.”
This beautiful Vincent Collection-A Rapide is the star attraction of Bonhams’ upcoming Spring Stafford Sale and can cross the block as Lot 365 on April 21.
Pictures courtesy of Bonhams.
