Barn Find Vincent: 1949 Vincent Black Shadow (Video)
By Richard Backus
Maggie, the barn find Vincent Black Shadow, runs for the first time!
Glenn Bewley’s barn find Vincent incorporates all the essential elements of the best barn find; luck, rarity, and an incredible back story — at least what’s known of it or can be reasonably inferred. Glenn tripped across the bike, a 1949 Vincent Black Shadow, after it was found tucked away in a garage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it had apparently been hiding for decades.
What Glenn found wasn’t just any Vincent (as if there were such a thing). It was a hot rod, a special, a bike probably built for the speed trials that used to run regularly at small airports across the country. And it wasn’t just any special. Based on an early Series C Black Shadow, its creation was likely aided by none other than Gene Aucott, the first Vincent dealer in the U.S., who opened shop in Philadelphia in 1946. Apparently, Aucott liked and encouraged building hot rod Vincents, and it doesn’t seem much of a stretch to think he had a hand in this bike; the house where the Vincent was found was only five miles from Aucott’s old shop. Read the full story of Maggie, the Abandoned Beasty, here.
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Our motto at Motorcycle Classics is simple: ride ‘em, don’t hide ‘em. Our video archive or YouTube Channel show it’s more than a motto for us: It’s a lifestyle. From multiple project bikes and ride reviews to events coverage and museum tours, our videos explore the ins and outs of the classic motorcycle hobby.
