F10AB/1A/70 Surtees/Amat machine

Whiteshadow15

Whiteshadow15

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Some of you already know, and more have guessed, but I wanted to share with everyone.

Within our Vincent find was a very special group of parts. The crankcases have been confirmed by Simon and we are fairly certain the Frame is the correct one but due to chrome plating not all of the numbers are visible.

This is the first post-war factory tuned engine and sister to the Gunga din, Originally ordered by Jack Surtees for sidecar racing with his son,
IMG_3456.PNG
IMG_3543.JPG
John. The Surtees eventually sent the engine back to the factory where it was rebuilt and sold to Jose Amat of Cuba. Story has it that the Amat family fled Cuba and ended up bringing the bike with him where it ended up at a shop in Chicago where it traded hands back in the 70's.

We are still looking though and making sure we can match up all the parts we believe to be part of this machine, but unfortunately the chrome petrol tank was not with the collection.

If any of you have any facts or stories of the bike I would love to hear it, any believed pictures would also be of tremendous value.
 
Gene Nehring

Gene Nehring

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Whiteshadow15 said:
Some of you already know, and more have guessed, but I wanted to share with everyone.

Within our Vincent find was a very special group of parts. The crankcases have been confirmed by Simon and we are fairly certain the Frame is the correct one but due to chrome plating not all of the numbers are visible.

This is the first post-war factory tuned engine and sister to the Gunga din, Originally ordered by Jack Surtees for sidecar racing with his son,View attachment 29305View attachment 29306 John. The Surtees eventually sent the engine back to the factory where it was rebuilt and sold to Jose Amat of Cuba. Story has it that the Amat family fled Cuba and ended up bringing the bike with him where it ended up at a shop in Chicago where it traded hands back in the 70's.

We are still looking though and making sure we can match up all the parts we believe to be part of this machine, but unfortunately the chrome petrol tank was not with the collection.

If any of you have any facts or stories of the bike I would love to hear it, any believed pictures would also be of tremendous value.
Click to expand...

The head stock on my bike is a B rapide that was dispatched to Amat on Cuba with a chrome tank.
 
roy the mechanic

roy the mechanic

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
There is a photo in 50 years of the marque (by P C V), the caption - a rapide with special chrome tank supplied to Armat's specification and to no other agent in the world. It looks like a black bike with only a chrome tank.
 
Whiteshadow15

Whiteshadow15

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
roy the mechanic said:
There is a photo in 50 years of the marque (by P C V), the caption - a rapide with special chrome tank supplied to Armat's specification and to no other agent in the world. It looks like a black bike with only a chrome tank.
Click to expand...

I have seen that, but as far as I know there aren't any confirmed pictures of this particular machine that have surfaced. It is also not unreasonable to think he added the chrome plating to the rest of the bike years later.
 
Whiteshadow15

Whiteshadow15

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
It is interesting to hear, I've had several that have mentioned seeing the bike in Chicago with a Chrome tank, The argument becomes if it were chromed later or simply a case of mistaken memories. It is good to know it was certainly not chrome from the factory.
 
Bill Thomas

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
It's always been the way, If you have more than one Vincent, To mix spares up, I have been more guilty than most ?, It has took me years to sort things out, For anyone after I have gone to the Race Track in the Sky.
Cheers Bill.
 
Top