Beschreibung:

• Matching frame and engine • Originally part of a motorcycle combination • Known ownership history • Present ownership since 2007 While equalling a Rolls-Royce for quality of construction and finish, in spirit the Brough Superior was more akin to the sporting Bentley. Not an unwieldy beast intended primarily for sidecar duties like the majority of its v-twin-engined contemporaries, the Brough Superior was, in its maker's own words, 'a type of machine designed from the experienced solo rider's point of view.' To prove the point, Brough lost no time in demonstrating his machine's capabilities in the most attention-grabbing way possible - by racing at Brooklands. Introduced in 1922, the JAP-powered SS80 (so-called because of its guaranteed 80mph top speed in road trim) achieved instant fame when a stripped-for-racing version (nicknamed 'Spit and Polish') ridden by George became the first sidevalve-engined machine to lap the Surrey track at over 100mph. Even more surprising was the fact that this landmark figure had been achieved on its maker's Brooklands debut. That particular Brough Superior SS80 – subsequently re-christened 'Old Bill' - went on to win 51 out of 52 races contested, only failing in the last when a tyre burst. Brough entered the 1930s with an entirely JAP-powered range and then, after a brief absence, the SS80 reappeared in 1935 as the SS80 Special, this time with an engine built by Associated Motor Cycles. The SS80 continued to use the AMC engine until production ceased in 1939. One of the last JAP-engined SS80s made, this example left the factory on 23rd March 1932 fitted with Castle (Brampton) forks and attached to a Cruiser sidecar. There are copies of period photographs of the combination on file. Brough Club records show that 'TV 5943' was the first of three Broughs owned by Mr George Smith of Burton Joyce, near Nottingham. The accompanying old-style buff logbook (issued 1953) reveals that the Brough was registered in 1942 to one Terence Eldon Crowley, who kept it until April 1985, while the old V5 on file shows that 'TV 5943' then passed to Dr Adrian Valentine George. The current vendor bought the Brough in July 2007 from previous owner David Kemp of Coleshill, Birmingham (bill of sale on file), who had acquired it from Dr George in February 1989. In addition to the aforementioned documentation, the machine comes with SORN paperwork, a quantity of old MoTs (most recent expired July 2007), and old/current V5C Registration Certificates. It should be noted that the Brough is fitted with a replacement gearbox and replacement slimline fuel tank (original tank with machine).