‘Vincent’. With the possible exception of Brough Superior, never has a name said so much. On hearing it uttered, one conjures an image of a machine blacker than the most terrible night and faster than a streak of lightning. For what is essentially just an assembly of nuts and bolts, its ability to generate poetic sentiment is astonishing.

Like many of the best manufacturers, Vincent Motorcycles only had a reasonably fleeting existence between its creation by Phil Vincent in 1928 and its demise in 1955 occasioned by an unflinching dedication to hand-made, high-quality bikes which couldn’t fight against mass production any longer. However, with the Rapide and latterly the Black Shadow, Vincent will always be remembered for its advertising line, ‘The World’s Fastest Standard Motorcycle’.

The Rapide story began in 1936 on what designer Phil Irving had supposed would just be another ordinary working day. Slaving away in his office, he suddenly noticed two drawings of the Vincent single lying on top of one another in a vee formation. Why hadn’t he thought of that before… Irving sketched a V-twin design which could be made using the same cylinders, heads and valve gear as the single, hurried to present it to Phil Vincent, who seized upon it with fervid enthusiasm, and within a few weeks the first 1000cc Vincent V-twin was born.

Pre-war, the Rapide was built in Series A guise, but it was substantially revised for post-war production as the Series B from 1946, with unit construction of the engine and gearbox and the engine altered so it could be used as a stressed member, allowing the frame to be reduced for weight-saving. The wheelbase as also reduced, making the Rapide decidedly compact for a 1000cc bike. In 1948, the Series C was introduced with little changed save for the replacement of the old Brampton forks with Vincent’s new Girdraulic design.

Bearing a London registration,  the first traces of Vincent’s history is picked up in 1970, where on a green continuation log book we can see it was registered to a Mr Hughes of Green Lanes in Haringey which was subsequently sold to a Mr Christopher of Romford, Essex. The next trace of history is from 2005, when it was purchased by Mr. Graham Cooper of Carshalton, Surrey. Mr. Cooper sold it to the vendor, a longstanding motorcycle enthusiast and collector, in 2016. Since then it has seen light use, and when not being ridden has occupied garage space alongside some of the finest names in British motorcycling from the 1920s to the present.

As a true enthusiast with the fullest appreciation of the motorcycles he owns, the owner enjoys riding all his machines. To that end, he does not keep them over-polished or trailer them around to shows, preferring instead to use them, with all that that entails. The vendor has taken sufficient care of his machines to ensure that they run like clockwork, start willingly and run smoothly and reliably. It is in that spirit that the Vincent has been maintained, and while it may not be concours, a better-running example will be hard to find.

The vendor retains an attachment to all his bikes, but the decision to start a new life in Sweden means the collection has to be sold.

At some point in the past, this machine has had a set of Series C Girdraulic Forks and Rear Frame section fitted (presumably as an upgrade), however the Upper Frame and Engine number are matching Series B units from 1948. The numbers are as follows: 

Engine: F10 AB/1/946
Upper Frame: R2936
Rear Frame: RC/1/6486

The Vincent’s paperwork includes the current V5 and the bill of sale from Mr. Cooper to the vendor. Also present is the vendor’s 2017 renewal form for membership of the Vincent H.R.D. Owners’ Club. The Green continuation Log Book from 1970 onwards is also present with a stack of receipts from the ownership throughout the years. 

Without using too many words, this Vincent Rapide looks absolutely stunning. The deep black gloss of the fuel tank, the subdued gleam from the alloy mudguards and the obvious might of the one-litre engine crammed into the compact frame all contribute to what can only be described as one of the finest-looking motorcycles ever produced.

Even though the vendor keeps all his bikes in superb condition, the Rapide stands out as one of the very best, with the paint looking not far from factory-fresh. It really comes very close to perfection, albeit slightly let down by a little area on the Girdraulic forks where the paint has rubbed away. All the decals are in excellent condition, even if they display some slight wear upon very close inspection. The company branding has a particular beauty from a long-lost past, too. Who could fail to admire the personification of the Vincent as fleet-footed Hermes astride a winged wheel?

The seat is excellent with hardly any evidence of wear. Much of the chrome and other metalwork is exceptionally good, showing barely any signs of age. The alloy mudguards display just the very lightest patina and are all the better for it. If ever there was a motorcycle that might be called prissy, it wasn’t a Vincent, and this Rapide looks like it would be just as happy tearing up the A-roads as it would be basking in the attention of a show field.

Having seen the Vincent run, we are satisfied that it is in good mechanical order. While it has only been used sparingly by the present owner, it is known to have participated in the Vincent H.R.D. Owners’ Club’s Dutch Rally in 2007.

Externally, the engine boasts a superficial and attractive patina, but it looks to us to be oil-tight. The great V-twin with its huge crankcase really is a sight to behold. This particular machine has been fitted with an external crankcase breather as the vendor prefers to use all of his collection so this has been fitted to add reliability. 

The suspension and brakes also appear to be in good order after a short test walking the bike forward and backward and checking these. All of the cable controls also seem the work as intended. 

Of course, without a recent M.o.T. record we are unable to make any guarantees as to its roadworthiness, but since the vendor gives his bikes all necessary attention and does not overlook or neglect them, we are sure it will not require much, if anything, for it to pass a test with flying colours.

The allure of the Vincent name is quite unlike anything else. There have been many beautiful bikes over the course of time and many extremely fast ones, but only Vincent has the distinction of inspiring a romantic ballad. At the end of the day, it comes down to Vincent getting everything just right. The engineering was always to the highest standard, the proportions of the bikes were just right, with the huge engines filling the frame nicely, and the sublime combination of ebony paint and polished metal struck an aesthetic cord which other bike makers, no matter how varied their colour palettes, could come close to imitating.

Perhaps the Black Shadow has stolen some of the Rapide’s thunder, but this represents an opportunity to sample the engineering that went into the ‘The World’s Fastest Standard Motorcycle’ for much more affordable price. You’ll still stop people in their tracks on all the corners and cafés, and have a hell of a time riding down to Box Hill, so perhaps the Rapide represents better value than a Black Shadow. Either way, it definitely represents one of the best machines the British motorcycle industry could offer, and since every human soul covets a Vincent (whether they know it or not), you’ll regret it if you let this one pass by.