1952 Vincent Series C Black Shadow

Growing up, Phillip C. Vincent idolized Howard Raymond Davies, who founded HRD motorcycles and won the 1925 Isle of Man Senior TT on his own relatively untested creation. But Davies’ company was unable to survive financially. At age 19, Vincent, financed by his father, purchased the HRD name and began manufacturing some of history’s most revered motorcycles. The Black Shadow was an uprated 125 mph version of the 998 cc Rapide, with features such as a stressed-member engine and extensive use of aluminum alloy. The Motor Cycle praised the Vincent in 1947 for its “fussless mile-eating ... [and] searing acceleration leaving a black line of burnt rubber on the road surface.”

The consignor acquired this Black Shadow circa 2010 from an enthusiast in Nevada who said he had ridden it extensively during 30-plus years of ownership. Upon acquisition, the motorcycle was restored from the ground up by a Vincent expert and fitted with accepted upgrades: 12-volt conversion, twin leading shoe front brake, BTH Magneto, and upgraded front damper. For the past several years, it was stored in the consignor’s climate-controlled collection. Chuck Sim of Cycles Immortal in Winterport, Maine, recently reawakened this Black Shadow with mechanical attention and a road test, documented by receipts on file.

With its high-level restoration, recent mechanical attention, and rideability upgrades, this extraordinary example can be expected to provide its new owner with the thrill that only a lucky few could afford in 1952.