Motor Cycle News, December 3, 1969

VINCENT DAVEY, the 43-year old "man behind the Gus Kuhn organisation" always has been and claims he will always be a motorcycle enthusiast.

He certainly proved his enthusiasm and faith in motorcycles when just over 18 months ago he decided to go for the specialist motorcycle market, concentrating on large British sporty machines but more specifically on the Norton Commando.

To build up a sales and spares service second to none for the Norton machines was his aim and he has succeeded in double quick time.

"I believe in specialist dealers," says Vincent, "the trade will get more professional as a result."

He recommends five agencies as a maximum and three as the ideal he follows himself for as well as Nortons, he also stocks Triumph and BSA machines.

As soon as he left the Army in 1948 he went to work at Norton Motors in their famous Bracebridge Street factory in Birmingham.

He stayed there for a year before moving down the road to BSA where he remained for another 12 months before joining Gus Kuhn at his South West London business.

It was during the same year - 1950 - that Vincent tried his hand at road racing. His machine was the 250cc Rudge on which Roland Pike finished fifth in the lightweight TT. In 1952 he had three outings on a 500 Manx Norton belonging to the firm.

After one season the Rudge was sold to help provide the money needed when he married Gus Kuhn's daughter Marian. At this time Vincent was running the workshop and in 1953 he was offered a directorship of the company.

In 1966 Gus Kuhn died and Vincent took over the business as
managing director with his wife as co-director.

The business was a good one and well established but Vincent decided that the time to make a change and meet the modern motorcycle challenge had arrived. His decision to concentrate on big machines and Norton Commandos in particular has proved a good one.