P.CS"

The autobiography of Philip Vincent

One of a set of three books written in the early 1970s to document the history of the Vincent-HRD motorcycle company. As a 'read; this is the pick of the trio, though there's much information to be gleaned from 'The Vincent- HRD Story' by Roy Harper, while the same man was responsible for 'The Vincent-HRD Gallery, in which every model the firm made is illustrated and technical details given.

Philip Vincent - PCV - is a florid storyteller and an engaging writer; he did contribute all manner of articles to the motorcycling press during the years after his eponymous motorcycle company had gone out of business, plus he had an expensive education; Harrow, then up to Cambridge.

There's an assuredness to the man that comes across strongly in his writings; he is truly convinced that he knows best, in basically everything, which is borne out in some of his remarkable successes - the machines he built, for example - but may have also contributed to some of his failures; his motorcycle business ultimately collapsed, while, for example, the car dealership he ran in the early 1960s also went kaput fairly rapidly.

Some of his comments bear evidence to why it all went wrong (as when talking of his Series D) vis: "Adesigner who is misguided enough to allow the appearance of the finished machine to play any substantial part in his general layout is liable to sacrifice performance and appearance in pursuit of the unattainable:'

The fact that he was probably an infuriating character all contributes to what is an entertaining read.

First published in 1976, it's not easy

(or cheap) to get hold of, but diligent searching and patience will invariably be rewarded.