TT MODEL HRD

The HRD/Vincent story has been very well documented, especially the post-war machines. However, less is known of the pre-war racers, especially the TT models which used the new engines designed by Phil Irving for 1935. These days, the TT models are rarer than a let-off for a speed camera infringement, but one such machine, with carefully documented history, resides in New Zealand, now owned by Bill Irwin in Nelson.

In their TT debut in 1935, the new 500s finished 7th, 9th and 12th in the Senior TT against formidable opposition from the likes of Norton, Moto Guzzi, Velocette and NSU. It was a remarkable performance by such a small company, and the post-race sales rush provided much-needed capital for the new range of singles that included the limited production TT Model. The TT was supplied in two forms; as