Brough Superior, one of the most popular British-made motorcycles from the early 20th century will come out with its first new model since 1940.

Bought from British-born Mark Upham in 2008, the new bikes will be true to the original, and be entirely hand-made replicas. While a few modern materials have been incorporated, the new models will feature the same 60-cubic-inch V-twin engine and will not have any electronics on board. Able to get 55 miles to the gallon, this updated classic boasts a top speed of 100 mph.

Brough Superior is perhaps best known as the motorcycle of choice for T.E. Lawarence a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia. He owned seven of them in his lifetime, even nicknaming one of them “Boa.” Lawrence said of Boa, “It is better than all the riding animals on Earth. Because Boa loves me, he gives me five more miles of speed than a stranger would get from him.” He is said to have reached 120 mph on the bike that would eventually break several records while eventually getting to 170 mph.

Dubbed the “Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles” by H.D. Teague of The Motorcycle Newspaper, the Brough’s height of production was in the 1920s, when roughly 150 models were build per year (226 in 1927). Made by George Brough in his Nottingham factory, these bikes were entirely custom built. Each was assembled twice: the first time was to ensure proper fitting, and the second time was after the bike was taken apart for painting and plating.

Close to 1,000 original Brough Superior’s still exist today and remain one of the most sought after models in existence. In the Superior’s era, the price of one was £150; today, one can range anywhere from $40,000 (£26,051) to $3 million (£1.96 million). The four most common models of the brand are the SS100 (pictured), SS80, SS680, and the 11.50.

Upham has only commissioned five models to be made each year, keeping the exclusivity of the brand intact. Price has been announced as “more than more than £120,000 ($184,000).”

-Affluent Page

[Brough Superior]