Philip Vincent was a determined man who had solid ideas about how a motorcycle should work, and more importantly, how to build a motorcycle.
He studied mechanical science at the University of Cambridge and poorly appreciated many of the features of modern machines.
In the 1920s, he built his first motorcycle. Like everyone else, he had a rear suspension with a triangulated swivel fork, and the springs were installed under the saddle to work against the upper frame. He had a Swiss Mag engine, a Moss gearbox, Webb plugs and Enfield hubs.
In 1927, at the age of 19, he decided to start producing motorcycles. After consulting with Arthur Born, he acquired the established HRD name from OK Supreme Company.
The name of the radar station could only be 3 years old, but the name of Howard R. Davis was well known, since it was tied to second place in the starting TTP of 1914, reportedly killed in action in 1917 and won the senior 1921 with its 350 AJS. After creating his company, he finished second in the Junior category and won the eldest in 1925.
Against this background, the models were in demand and were thought out before the name was transferred to Vincent. Davis was quite surprised by the motorcycle, which rendered, as the thin rigid frame disappeared, which led to the fact that the car completely changed, except for using its own engine. By 1930, Vincent HRD was known as the creator of high-end hand-held machines.
Due to the depression, the company was not able to choose a more unfavorable time to use the rear suspension, as this was a highlight against the brand. At that time there were big prejudices about such things, and the assertion that all TT winners used a rigid framework resisted any engineering reasoning.
Vincent’s sales were minimal, and, like Brough, they were a club for initiates. They gradually improved, and in 1930 went to Olympia with a range of JAP engines. For touring there were engines with side flaps 490 and 600cc, and for sports applications - OHV engines of the same size. A couple of JAP racing engines cultivated the racer competition, and finally there was a racer on the 350cc track. The latter was significant for sales of Vincent, and in 1930 sales amounted to 36, which is 50% more than in 1929.
This figure reached 48 in 1931, and in the same year, the company began to specify Rudge Python engines as an option after it had problems with JAP modules.
At the end of 1931, Phil Irving joined the company and immediately took up the new frame. His knowledge was to complement the innovations that came from Vincent to create good working motorcycles.
The new frame set the format of the pre-war Vincent and had one tank, seats and down pipes. The engine was part of the design with small front plates and massive rear. The latter surrounded the gearbox and provided mounting for the rear fork turn and its tapered roller bearings.
The rear suspension springs and dampers are slipped under the saddle and loaded with a triangulated rear fork. Damping was provided by friction material between the inner and outer covers of the spring case and could be adjusted by external clamps.
In this frame, the client had a choice of 490cc JAP or 499cc Python in standard or sports form. For those who preferred the older style, five more models were listed, but they were unlikely to be sold.
In 1933, the lightweight model L & was added to the list and was equipped with a 247cc Villiers engine or a 245cc side valve with a JAP engine, but it never entered production. The prototype had a push-pull power supply and was interesting because it was partially covered with panels around the crankcase and gearbox. He kept the frame with the diamond spring, like the other models, which were all 500cc OHV. One had a JAP engine, and the rest had a python engine in two states.
The push-pull was modified for 1934 and became a W & W model with a water-cooled Villers 249cc engine. The frame was new and unlike others, except for the retention of the triangulated rear fork and the spring block under the seat. The main frame was a malleable iron frame to which the two lower tubes were attached. They were attached to a duct section, which passed under the engine and gearbox to the other, acting as a place to sit and support the rear fork. Striptease left anchored construction.
Phil Vincent was dropped in 1934, and with Raj units that became difficult to reach, he decided to make his own. He should have shown it on the next show; he had only four months to produce it. He excelled, and design set the style for all his future engines.
The valve mechanism was what distinguished Vincent from others, and began with a camshaft located high up with push rods laid parallel to the valve line, which allowed rockers to pass right through the head to the valves.
News for headlines in 1937 was the emergence of the 998cc twin V twin with great performance. Unfortunately, it was too fast for the transmission, which, as you know, faded under torque. Phil Irving went to work at Velocette, but later returned in 1943.
In 1939, only three models remained: Meteor, Comet and Rapida, and the comet was known as a touring car. Enthusiasts knew them quickly, faster and faster.
Production ceased in 1939, and the company turned to military work with some special projects for services, as well as thoughts of high-speed tourists for many years.
After the war, motorcycle production resumed, and in 1946 the company introduced the serial production of Rapid, which was radically different from A. The oil pipelines were internal, and the gearbox was part of the engine casting. It had a shorter wheelbase, and its dimensions were more like a 500 cubic meter motorcycle.
In 1948, the Series C Rapide, Black Shadow and Black Lightning models appeared.
The “black shadow” was capable of 125 miles per hour and was easily recognized thanks to the rear engine and gearbox. The Black Lightning was a racing version of the Black Shadow with every necessary steel part that could be redone from aluminum and all that was not a significant remote altar, which reduced the weight from 458 pounds to 380 pounds. Every bit of the rider, he had one racing seat and rear running boards.
With sales falling, Vincent tested the construction of two new high-speed tour models, the fully-closed Vincent Victor (modernized comet), the Black Knight (updated Rapide) and the Vincent The Black Prince (updated shadow). The public did not accept them well, and the short-lived, informal version of The Black Prince was released. There was also a comet of series D.
Sales declined even more due to the availability of cheaper cars.
By 1954, Vincent was in a difficult situation. In search of solvency, Vincent was looking for ways to improve his position, and the company regained the trick.
Sales fell even further, and one of the prototypes of the 3-wheel loaders equipped with the Vincent Rapid 998cc engine was unofficially called Polyfem.
After several prototypes, the then “Vincent 3 wheeler” was offered to the public in 1955 at a price of £ 500, which was expensive for any vehicle at that time, especially for a vehicle without reverse, self-starting or bonnet. The company has not sold anything.
Vincent HRD motorcycles were made by hand and expensive. 11,000 cars were sold after World War II, and a decline in sales in 1954 forced the company to produce NSU mopeds. Only forty of the two stroke of the NSU Vincent Fox were built. There was also the OHV four-stroke NSU Vincent 98cc, and Vincent sold the NSU Rapid moped, of which 20,000 units were sold in one year.
At the Vincent Owners Club party in the summer of 1955, Phil Vincent announced that the company could no longer continue to face such heavy losses and that the production of motorcycles would stop almost immediately.
Just a week before Christmas, Vincent’s last motorcycle came off the production line. This was labeled as “the last.”
Then the plant switched to general engineering, the production of industrial engines, and also Amanda’s water scooter, possibly the first personal ship. Engineer Vincent lost his life testing it.
Phil Vincent stated that parts of Vincent will always be available, and indeed, they are still located through the Vincent Owners Club and other sources.
In 1959, the company entered the bankruptcy proceedings, but since then it has been bought and sold by other engineering firms.
