c1933 Brough Superior SS80 Deluxe 1000cc Motorcycle (Project)

Description

One of the most revered names in motorcycling, Brough Superior was originally established by George Brough in Nottingham in 1921 to build machines of the highest quality and performance. Every Brough Superior was essentially a bespoke piece of machinery built to the customer’s individual requirements, famously earning the company the nickname “The Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles”, a line repeated throughout George Brough’s advertising. A succession of famous customers rode Brough’s, none more so than T E Lawrence, (better known as Lawrence of Arabia), who tragically died in 1935 from injuries sustained following an accident whilst riding near his home in Wareham, Dorset. Powered by specially tuned side-valve JAP engines and guaranteed to reach 80mph (hence the name), the Super Sports 80 was well received by the press and public alike and soon joined by the even more powerful SS100 in 1924, today one of the most sought after motorcycles ever made. Priced well out of reach for the average motorcyclist – the £90 asking price was enough to buy a small house in parts of London – the SS80 customer received a beautifully turned out, heavyweight machine without peer. A De Luxe model, featuring bottom link front forks, a fully sprung rear wheel, patented rolling stand, tuned engine and pillion footrests, was also available. The long-running SS80 remained in production from 1922 until the outbreak of war, with 626 completed using Matchless engines and a further 460 with JAP motors from 1935 onwards. Like Rolls-Royce, the survival rate of Broughs is remarkably good and an estimated 70 per cent of all SS80s made remain in some form or another today. Surviving examples are now keenly sought out by collectors around the globe and are regarded as some of the most desirable (not to mention valuable) British motorcycles ever made.