1948 Vincent Series B Black Shadow
Phil Irving’s redesign of the pre-war
HRD Series A Rapide into the 1946 Series B Rapide not only eliminated most of the earlier shortcomings, but resulted in perhaps the most iconic motorcycle of all time. All that remained of the Series A was the bore and stroke, the all-new engine a far tidier and much more efficient unit. The Black Shadow, introduced in 1948 created a whole new level of hysteria, developing 55bhp on the crude petrol of the time. Blisteringly fast and proportionately expensive, the Shadow was the fastest motorcycle on the market, and faster than most cars. Swathes of records followed, but none of this was sufficient to save Vincent, which collapsed in 1955 after the lukewarm sales of the final Series D models.