The rights to Vincent Motorcycles, a British manufacturer from 1928 to 1955, have been obtained by Bajaj Auto. Due to severe financial losses, the now-defunct British business was obliged to stop producing motorcycles. As it turned out, Bajaj has been in charge of the Vincent brand's rights from as far back as 2017. Curiously, the Indian automaker didn't make any statements about it. Could this mean that Bajaj has a trick up its sleeve?
Even though Vincent wasn't as well-known as Triumph, Norton, or BSA back in the day, it was nevertheless a significant player in the British motorcycle market. The Black Shadow and Black Lightning were two of its bikes, which were among the fastest at the time. The brand was also a regular competitor in the famed Isle of Man races. Now, motorcycle companies around the world revitalizing brands in the modern age are nothing new. We’ve seen it happen to Benelli, with Qianjiang breathing new life to the Italian brand. The same can be said for Jawa, the Czech brand which was revitalized by Mahindra-owned Classic Legends in India.
Of course, we can’t forget about Royal Enfield, a motorcycle manufacturer who has been in business for more than a century, but only started making waves in the international market in recent years. Could it be that Bajaj is looking to get in on the heritage action in the motorcycle world? Well, it certainly seems so. You see, apart from acquiring the rights to Vincent, Bajaj has also forged a partnership with yet another British motorcycle brand—Triumph. The goal of the partnership is to produce Triumph-branded platforms for the Asian market, with the highly anticipated Street Single expected to launch soon.
That said, Bajaj has a vast supply of resources at its disposal, as apart from being affiliated with Triumph, the Indian automaker has a 49.9-percent stake in KTM AG, which means it has access to platforms across the KTM and Husqvarna model ranges, as well. Although there isn’t any word just yet pertaining to what Bajaj intends to do with the Vincent name, Bajaj has up to August, 2026, until the trademark is due for renewal. As for the trademark itself, Bajaj’s rights to the Vincent brand cover pretty much everything to do with motorcycles, including the bikes themselves, and all parts and accessories.
