September 24, 2015…. “Gunga Din,” the 1947 Vincent Motorcycle factory test bike and racer, has captured one of the most esteemed of the big automobile awards at the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Gunga Din, the star of the Bar Hodgson Collection, was awarded the prestigious Margaret Dunning “Spirit of Driving” Special Award on Sunday, September 13th.
“I am very proud of Gunga Din’s accomplishment, certainly a most difficult feat for a motorcycle to achieve over many of the finest automobiles in North America,” stated owner Bar Hodgson.
Gunga Din was the Vincent Works test mule and development bike for all this British factory’s experimental parts and performance modifications, and contributed directly to the development of the legendary Black Shadow and the Black Lightning factory race bikes. In 1948 a motorcycle journalist, while test riding this motorcycle, found himself too fearful to go to its top speed and rolled off the throttle at 118mph (190km/h). During the written road test, he quoted from the famous Rudyard Kipling poem, “You are a better man than I am, Gunga Din,” and the name stuck. Raced by factory rider and development tester George Brown, it dominated all forms of British motorcycle racing from 1947 to 1951. The bike set numerous land speed records at 143 mph (230 km/h), notably in Ireland and Belgium, and held many British and world speed records.
The world class Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which took place on Sunday, September 13th at the posh Cobble Beach Golf Resort just north of Owen Sound, Ontario, is a true showcase of elegant and rarely seen vehicles from Brass Era antiques to the Exotics. A panel of 45 international judges covered the difficult task of determining the winners.
Bar Hodgson, owner of Gunga Din, is the producer of the Toronto International Spring Motorcycle Show held annually at the Toronto International Centre. He is also the founder of the North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW and the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
For further information contact:
Bar Hodgson
Bar Hodgson Productions Ltd.
Ph: 905-655-5403 email: bar@supershowevents.com
For a complete list of the 2015 Award winners visit www.cobblebeachconcours.com
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