Gallery: We'd Sell a Kidney for One of These Vintage British Motorcycles
Bonhams/L.Thorne01Vincent 1X 1
The 1946 Vincent “1X” Rapide B Prototype was the first Vincent made after World War II. After its debut, the British government commissioned the retooling of the engine for use on a military speedboat.
Bonhams/L.Thorne02Vincent 1X Rapide B
Herb Harris found the original engine for the 1X, but used a frame from another bike and weathered vintage body parts to build a reinterpretation of the original complete Vincent.
Bonhams/L.Thorne03Matchless 1
The tuned-up, one-off 1962 Matchless G50 CSR Silver Eagle was built by racing outfit Team Obsolete.
Bonhams/L.Thorne04Vincent Black Prince
The full-fairing 1954 Vincent Black Prince Prototype was designed for long-distance touring. Creator Phil Vincent called this particular model a “two-wheeled Bentley.”
Bonhams/L.Thorne05Vincent Black Prince 1
It was one of the first fully-enclosed cruisers with lots of aerodynamic fairings.
Bonhams/L.Thorne06AJS 1
The 350-cc 1949 AJS 7R was the type of motorcycle reserved for pro racers with enough sponsorship money and the right connections to procure one.
Bonhams/L.Thorne07Vincent Rapide 2
The paint color shown on this 1949 Vincent Rapide C is called “Chinese Red,” and the sidecar, called a Blacknell Bullet, has the zeppelin-like lines of other sidecars from that era.
Bonhams/L.Thorne08Vincent Rapide 1
Harris's restoration includes an electric starter instead of the regular kick starter.
Bonhams09BSA Cutaway 2
This is one of the collections "cutaways," a BSA Goldstar Clubman with exposed components to show off the engineering.
Bonhams10BSA Cutaway 1
This cutaway is exceptional because unlike other static showpieces, its suspension, crankshaft, can all be pushed through their motions.
Bonhams11Vincent Drawings
These drawings, dating back to 1928, were made by an adolescent Phil Vincent. Harris, being a Vincent die-hard, purchased the drawings from the Vincent family.
