1954/55 Vincent Black Prince/Black Knight
(Prince had more powerful engine)
From Wikipedia:
The
Vincent Black Prince
was a British motorcycle
made between 1954 and 1955 by Vincent
Motorcycles. A year before the factory closed in 1955, Vincent
produced the enclosed range of Vincent
Black Knight and Black
Prince. Phil Vincent described it as a
'two-wheeled Bentley' and the enclosed Vincents got a lot of
attention at the 1955 Earls
Court show. Problems with production of the glass fibre mouldings
eventually led to financial difficulties and the last Black Prince
left the Vincent production line on Friday, 16 December 1955.[1]
Falling sales of the Series C Vincent motorcycles during
1952 and 1953 was partly attributed to dated styling, so Phil
Vincent sought to update the range and development began what
were to become the Series D machines. The main change was innovative
full enclosure and weather protection, with glass fibre panels that
included leg shields and a handlebar fairing. This was not about
streamlining for speed, as the Vincent was already powerful enough
for riders of the day - it was instead about the idea that the rider
could travel to work in a suit rather than full motorcycle kit.[2]
Care was taken to ensure that the engines were still easily
accessible for general maintenance and the rear enclosure was hinged
providing access to the rear wheel and drive chain.[1]
Vincent
also tried to make it easier for the rider to get the motorcycle on
to its stand by adding a huge lever on the left of the machine that
could be operated from the saddle. The frame was also modified with a
single tubular strut bolted to the steering head and a single damper
replaced the twin rear shocks.[2]
The Black Prince was launched at the 1954 Earls
Court motorcycle show, together with the 998 cc Vincent
Black Knight and the 500 cc Vincent Victor (which never went
into production as only the prototype was ever built). There was a
lot of interest but much of it was critical, and the Black Prince was
termed the motorcycle you either love or hate. The Motor
Cycle road tested a Black Prince and
concluded that it handled as well as the Vincent
Black Shadow with improved fuel consumption.[2]
Production of the Black Prince began in the spring of
1955. Lucas components replaced the less reliable Miller electrical
system and ignition was upgraded to coil and distributor. The rear
enclosure, which incorporated the oil tank, was hinged allowing
access to the rear wheel and final drive chain.Amal
Monobloc carburettors improved starting. The centre stand was
operated by a lever accessible from the saddle and the lower front
mudguard stay served as an emergency front stand to facilitate the
removal of the front wheel. Delay in delivery of the fibre glass
components from subcontractors held back the availability of the
first production bikes until spring 1955. Approximately 200 of the
enclosed models were built.[1]
Increasingly affluent customers may have encouraged
Vincent to go for a 'high end' luxury touring model, but at the same
time high volume and very affordable small cars were flooding the
market. Vincent's accountants suddenly realised that they were losing
money on every Black Prince sold, so the last example of both the
model and the marque left the production line on Friday, 16 December
1955.[2]
I was reminded of the Black Price and Black Knight by the renewed interest in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. In 1956, the BBC broadcast a dramatisation of Nineteen Eighty-Four starring Peter Cushing, and featured Black Princes and Knights as the transport of the Thought Police.
Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, you can watch the original 1956 production:
You can read the book here: link
Free Kindle download: link
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