For immediate release. 15 September 2008 – San Francisco – Certain competitors, once in the saddle, put an indelible stamp on events and, similarly, there’s a select group of racers who create an affinity with a single brand. There is no finer example of this than the long-standing link between Marty Dickerson, Vincent and Bonneville.
Young Dickerson was already obsessed with racing when he traded in his Triumph Tiger for a near-new Vincent Series B Rapide. Back in 1948, even die-hard enthusiasts were hardly aware of the British-built OHV 1000cc machine despite that these 50-degree V-twins were the fastest stock motorcycles available. Marty’s purchase didn’t disappoint, in fact its maximum speed exceeded his long held expectations. A regular in southern California speed trials, Marty was soon cutting 120+mph runs on his free-running Rapide through the traps at Rosamund Dry Lake.
The West Coast Vincent dealer, Mickey Martin, commissioned Dickerson to visit potential dealer outlets located throughout the southwestern US in an effort to increase Vincent sales. Astride the street legal Vincent Rapide, he set out in the summer of 1949 on a lengthy itinerary. As far as sales were concerned it was an unproductive journey, but that trip laid the foundation of Dickerson’s future reputation. When arriving at a dealer destination, he would inevitably be challenged by local 2- and 4-wheel “hotshoes”. Invariably, the challengers failed to recognize the machine on which he’d ridden into town and, irrespective of how tired or unprepared Marty was, he was never beaten!
Encouraged by these “victories” Marty returned to Los Angeles and began a series of improvements to his machine. This included the fitment of a complete new bottom half – whose polished crankcases carried the celebrated number 301, still in place today – coupled with gas-flowed cylinder heads, now fitted with 2” header pipes, necessitating a move of the kick-start to the nearside. At the same time he “rigidified” the rear end, replacing the existing Brampton girders with a set of Girdraulic forks removed from a 500cc Vincent Grey Flash he was successfully road racing at that time. Finally, he painted what had now morphed into an out-and-out racer its distinctive blue color. The spectacular looking blue bike now weighed 400 lbs. and was ready for serious competition.
In 1951 at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats, Marty and his “Blue Bike” earned the second fastest speed of 129mph. The next year, the pair achieved the fastest time and the AMA Class C record with a speed of 141.72mph. (Class C rules restricted un-faired machines to pump fuel, an 8:1 compression ratio, and for riders to sit conventionally.) A year later, in 1953, he raised that speed and grabbed yet another Class C record at 147.56mph – a record that remained unbroken for the next 20 years!
A grateful Vincent factory acknowledged this feat with a depiction of Marty and his Blue Bike on the front cover of the firm’s 1953 catalogue. Indian too, national distributor for Vincent during the early 1950s, used an image of Marty in glorious action at Bonneville.
The AMA correspondence confirming these records along with the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) plaques for each year Marty participated are part of the Blue Bike’s accompanying inventory.
Marty went on to make further history on Vincents. He won several road races on a Comet and Grey Flash and set a Class A record at Bonneville on a Black Lightning. Having become synonymous with Vincent, Marty has traveled the world as the British brand’s ambassador, attending rallies, races, meets and even acting as Honorary Judge at the 2007 Legend of the Motorcycle when Vincent was the featured marque – the last time Marty and the Blue Bike were reunited in public.
In 2000, after more than half a century of ownership, Marty sold the Blue Bike to a prominent Vincent devotee in Texas where the bike remains in a preserved “as last run” condition except for a microscopic cleaning and polishing. Still proudly sporting its SCTA seals, the machine has subsequently been started only sparingly with Marty deliberately being present on each occasion.
This motorcycle, integral to American, British and motorcycling histories, is being offered for sale at Bonhams’ renowned annual auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 25th. Interested parties may register to bid by e-mailing motors.us@bonhams.com or calling 415-391-4000.
For general information about Bonhams and its 50 specialist departments worldwide, visitwww.Bonhams.com
