1951 Vincent Black Shadow, Viscount, Norvin, Manx Norton V5C
Here we have an extremely rare item, a V5C for a "Vincent 1000cc" motorcycleThe engine number on the V5C is genuine Vincent Black Shadow, and was dispatched to a dealers called Marshall in St Austel Cornwall on the 15th August 1951. The engine number on the V5 is therefore as followsF10AB/1B/738#I understand the frame number denotes a 1955 Norton Manx model 40 500cc Wideline FrameFrame number is K10M6479# However there is a very slight anomaly in relation to the frame number on the V5C in that the last character referenced is a letter rather than a number. It is my belief that this is a simple administrative error which was not uncommon. What we have therefore is a V5C which references a Vincent 1000cc motorcycle fitted with a Black Shadow engine in a Norton Manx Frame. It appears then that the documentation related to a Vincent Black Shadow which was then converted into a Norvin at some point. From my own research it is my belief that a Black Shadow engine housed in a Norton Manx frame bears all the hallmarks of probably the rarest Vincent related production motorcycle of all time, "The Viscount" A brief history on The Viscount Motorcycle : in 1960 a gentleman called Tom Somerton started to commercialise The Norvin under the Viscount brand. The very first Viscount made was featured by Motorcycle News on the 25th July 1960. Somerton went into production with the Viscount and 12 Viscounts were manufactured. The specification of the Viscount consisted of a Vincent Black Shadow ...