Vincent Black Shadow (1955)

The Vincent Black Shadow was one of the fastest and most technically sophisticated motorcycles of its time. Built in Stevenage, England, it was developed from the Rapide and given a higher-performance specification, with Vincent advertising it as capable of remarkable speeds for the late 1940s and 1950s.

A 1955 Black Shadow comes from the final year of Vincent motorcycle production, which gives it special historical weight. By then, the Black Shadow had already earned its reputation as an early superbike: expensive, hand-built, technically advanced and intimidatingly fast, with a legend that only grew after the company ceased production.