Description
This motorcycle is Lot 169 of Bonhams Motorcycles Online – The Summer Sale; open for bidding 5-15th June 2026. This Lot is available for public view and eventual collection from Bonhams Motorcycle Department, Milton Keynes.
Please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Bidding on all Lots commences Friday 5 June, 12:00 noon.
Bidding closes Monday 15 June, 12:00 noon, starting with Lot 1
Each subsequent Lot will then close one minute apart unless bidding remains active.
Public Viewing (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY):
All Lots:
Wednesday 10 June, 9am - 5pm
Thursday 11 June, 9am - 5pm
Please email using the button below with your availability to schedule an appointment.
Lot 169
The Connoisseurs Collection, Part III
Vincent 499cc 'Grey Flash' Replica (see text)
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. RC/ 1A/ 5927 (non-factory stamping)
Engine no. F5AB/ 2B/ 4028 (non-factory stamping) Rear frame no. RC/ 1A/ 5927 (non factory stamping) Crankcase mating no. H89 (non-factory stamping)
This Lot has arrived in the UK from overseas under Temporary Admission. Shippio Ltd must complete all post-sale customs clearance administration, for import or export, on behalf of the purchaser. A compulsory fee of £195 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this service. This Lot may not be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any third-party transporter until Shippio Ltd has confirmed that this Lot has cleared customs.
If this Lot is to remain in the UK, or is not exported within 90 days of the sale, Import VAT at 5% of the hammer price will be payable.
Development work by factory tester George Brown, himself an accomplished racer, resulted in the Vincent Grey Flash: a tuned version of the Series C Comet single with a power output of 35bhp and a top speed in racing trim of 115mph. The 'Flash retained the overall look of the Comet roadster, with Vincent's distinctive Girdraulic front fork and cantilever rear suspension, but featured an Amal TT carburettor, Elektron magnesium-alloy brake plates and an eye-catching pale grey colour scheme. Success eluded the works Grey Flashes in both the 1950 and '51 Isle of Man TT races but the model chalked up some notable victories on mainland short circuits in the hands of factory apprentice John Surtees. Catalogued only for the 1949 and 1950 seasons, during which time a mere 31 were completed, the Grey Flash is one of the rarest and most desirable of post-war Vincents. As one might expect, this rarity has stimulated the demand for replicas such as the example offered here.
Given the fact that none of the identification numbers listed above were applied at the Vincent factory (as confirmed by the VOC), this motorcycle must be considered a deliberate attempt at fakery and thus is sold for spare parts only. The engine turns over.
Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/ or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
£3, 000 - 5, 000
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.
