Vincent Motorcycles may be no more, and much of the new generation likely doesn't know about its history, but the legacy lives on. For many, Vincent remains the quintessential icon of the post-war motorcycle era, as these were the fastest, coolest motorcycles around.
You know that iconic Salt Flats picture of the guy wearing nothing but a skimpy bathing suit and stretched all the way out, barely even able to see what's in front of his handlebars? Yeah, that was Rollie Free riding a Vincent Black Shadow.
In more recent history, Vincents have become collector's pieces. And while I maintain you should ride your motorcycles, I get why a lot of folks just collect Vincents. Apart from Jay Leno, that is. That man rides and drives everything he has. But those instances where a Vincent comes up for sale or auction are few and far between. Yet, right now, Iconic Auctioneers has not one, but six Vincent motorcycles up for auction, including the incredibly rare Black Knight known as the "Schmaltz."
According to Iconic Auctioneers, "Iconic Auctioneers will present one of the most significant groupings of Vincent motorcycles to appear at auction in recent years, led by the legendary Vincent Black Knight known as ‘Schmaltz’, at its Motorcycle Sale held during the Race Retro Show... The sale brings together six rare and highly collectable Vincents, each offered with strong provenance, at one of the UK’s best-loved enthusiast events."
The six motorcycles include the aforementioned 1955 Black Knight, a 1952 Black Shadow Series C, a 1953 Series C Rapide Touring, a 1953 Rapide Series C, a 1950 Black Prince Series D Combination, and a 1950 Series C Comet. And that's a pretty damn healthy spread of Vincents, though I'm still partial to that Black Shadow Free rode, but that could just be how hard that original photo goes and my want to recreate it...
As for the history of the "Schmaltz," it began life as a regular Black Knight but "was soon pressed into hard use before passing to Vincent racer George Breach." The racer then took the motorcycle racing, competing in trials, local club racing, and sprints. The auction house notes that it was originally "Tuned by Jim Smith of Pegsdon and modified with period competition upgrades," and won a host of races under Breach, with its nickname due to the motorcycle's "gold script."
Since then, Iconic Auctions state that it's been "raced, toured, restored, and rediscovered" during its 55-year history. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, as well as every document imaginable, though in recent years, it's sat idle, and the house notes that it'll likely need a restoration to get back onto the road. Ride your motorcycles, folks!
Iconic says that the Black Knight "Schmaltz" will like go between £25,000 and £35,000, which is pretty reasonable given that a few Vincents have gone well-North of $100,000 in the past. And while the "Schmaltz" is the star of the auction, there is a Shadow in there, too, and that, the auctioneers state, may go north of £50,000.
Any way you slice it, Iconic Auctioneers has a helluva lot of Vincent motorcycles that would make most motorcycle collectors blush. The auctions are Sunday, so if you've been lusting after a Vincent for a while now, and have the means to do so, I'd give them a shout ASAP. And if you buy the Shadow, call me, I've got a photo idea and access to the Salt Flats...
