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Vincent
auction gets buoyant prices
Good identification and
condition underpin values in a market that's
more robust than many thought
October 1, 2025 – Guy 'Guido'
Allen
The Donington Auctions sale of a
South Australian Vincent enthusiast's modest
collection of bikes and paraphernalia concluded
last night, with some strong results.
Just three motorcycles (series C)
were involved, all of which were restored a
decade-plus ago and were known within the local
HRD Vincent community. It would appear they were
all examples with the factory frame and engine
numbers.
The 1954
Series C Black Shadow (above) was the headline
act and fetched a final bid of Au$151,500,
which was above top estimate. Call that near
enough to Au$164,000 (US$108,400, GB£80,500,
€92,400) with the relatively modest nine per cent
buyer premium included.
Next up
was the 1948 Rapide which, curiously, didn't
see bidding get serious until the last hour of the
auction. It stalled at around Au$64,000 for a day
or two, then hit
Au$78,000 at the last minute. That translates to
around Au$86,000 (US$56,900, GB£42,200, €48,500)
with premium included once it's loaded on the
truck for its new owner, and is consistent with
values for similar offerings in recent years.
The real star of the show was
the 1952 Comet single, which fetched an
impressive Au$47,000 bid compared to a perfectly
reasonable top estimate of Au$35,000. With premium
included it would have carried an invoice of about
Au$51,000 (US$33,700, GB£25,000, €28,700).
That was a really interesting
result. The Comet platform was the genesis of the
series and a great ride. Series C was the most
numerous of the post-war Vincent line and it can
be argued either way on whether you should have
this or the Series B.
(Series A is serious
investment-grade territory.)
This may be a record for an
example of the model with no fame attached to it.
What muddies the waters is a similar 1953 machine
owned by Paul Newman (of course) was sold
by Bonhams back in 2018 for Au$95,600
(US$63,250, GB£47,000, €53,900).
As for the
paraphernalia, there was demand for factory-related
literature and third-party books. This 1954 rider
handbook, signed by the
legendary Phil Irving, went for Au$540 (US$360,
GB£265, €300).
***
See the series C Rapide in our
shed
***
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