Ever since the Series-A’s arrival in 1937, the Vincent v-twin has been synonymous with design innovation, engineering excellence and superlative high performance. From Rollie Free’s capture of the ‘world’s fastest production motorcycle’ record in 1948 on a tuned Series-B Black Shadow to the final fully enclosed Black Knight and Black Prince, Philip Vincent’s stress on appearance and performance is legendary. His machines bristled with innovative features: adjustable brake pedal, footrests, seat height and gear-change lever. The finish was to a very high standard commensurate with the cost of the machine, which was virtually double that of any of its contemporaries. But above all else it was the v-twin’s stupendous performance that captivated motorcyclists, whether they could afford one or not. With a top speed approaching 120mph, and bettering it in the Black Shadow’s case, the Vincent v-twin was the fastest road vehicle of its day.

Consisting of a 1954 Series-D frame and 1948 Series-B engine, this Rapide was purchased by the vendor in 1964 and totally refurbished over a 20-year period, returning to the road in 1984. The machine has been used sparingly during the 1980s and 1990s, covering approximately 7,000 miles since completion. Some bills are available and date back to the days of Harper Engines, although these only cover a fraction of the work involved, much of which was carried out by the machine’s engineer owner. The rebuild included new main and big-end bearings; polished con-rods and flywheel; new oil pump; re-bore and Specialoid 7.3:1 pistons; new camshafts; cam followers Stellited; large idler pinion in steel; gearbox bearings replaced; clutch relined and a new battery. In addition, the front fork has been re-bushed and fitted with new spindles; the wheels rebuilt with Akront alloy rims; and stainless-steel mudguards and exhaust system fitted. The speedometer is a Black Shadow unit, while J G 12-volt electrics and coil ignition are sensible upgrades (original magneto included). The machine is offered with Swansea V5C registration document.