Imagine buying a job lot of motorcycles from Japan, and almost breaking a world record price with one of them. This 1938 Vincent HRD Series A Rapide was sold for £267,696, just below the highest ever £275,000 price. It was part of a recently acquired collection, and former owners include TV presenter and vintage racer Alain de Cadenet.
Obviously it’s an attractive bike, but what makes it so valuable? Well, just 78 of the Series A Rapide were made between 1936 and 1939, and around 50 are thought to still survive.
The 998cc V-twin produced 45bhp at 5,500rpm, with a top speed of 110mph, which made it the fastest production vehicle around when it launched. The engine was built by Vincent by fitting two HRD Meteor cyclinders onto a common crankcase remained the basis for the B, C and D models until 1955.
This particular bike was the only example photographed with Phil Vincent aboard, appearing in an article in ‘The Motorcycle’ in September 1940. And not only do the frame and engine numbers match, but the gearbox, oil pump and magneto numbers are the same as those on the original Works Order Sheet.
Having been discovered as a non-runner by classic bike dealership owner Brian Verrall, it was bought and rebuilt by Vincent enthusiast Bill Cakebread before being sold back to Verralls in 1993 and then to a private collector in Japan.
The sale of the 1938 Vincent HRD Series A Rapide at a recent H&H auction even overshadowed the sale on the same day of a 1934 Brough Superior Black Alpine which raised £131,560.
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