Vincent Who?

Monday, February 10, 2014

Vincent Who?

Lets see, there was the 1932 Vincent Bantam Trike 250cc then there was

1935 500cc Meteor
1934 500cc Comet
1935 500cc Comet Special
1936 1000cc Series A, Rapide
1946 1000cc Series B, Rapide
1948 500cc Series B, Meteor
1948 500cc Series C, Comet
1948 500cc Series C, Grey Flash
1948 1000cc Rapide
1948 1000cc Series C. Black Shadow
1948 1000cc Series C, Black Lightning
1949 1000cc Series C, White Shadow White Shadow
1950 500cc Series C, Red Comet
1953 45cc Firefly
1954 1000cc Series D, Black Knight
1954 1000cc Series D, Black Prince
1954 50cc NSU Quickly
1955 1000cc Three Wheeler
1955 123cc NSU Fox

So Vincent Who? HRD? Vincent.

In 1928 HRD Motorcycles was established, It was the brainchild of Howard Raymond Davis, who was a pilot in WWI that was shot down and captured. While in the German POW camp he started designing a motorcycle. He formed a partnership with E.J.Massey and together they opened the company. The HRD company, never really making a profit. folded in 1928.
A man named Phil Vincent who was looking to pick up a existing brand, bought the company and equipment then opened Vincent Motorcycles. The 1936 year using the 1000cc,(998cc) engine,brought to existence the Rapide, from there the C and D Series were developed. Between 1948 and 1955 Vincent was the Fastest production Bike in the world.

In 1955 the company went bankrupt after Phil Vincent's refusal to use less quality parts and materials to build the bikes.