by Abhi Parasher
Behind every exceptional feat lies a story of struggle that speaks more to the human experience than the achievement itself. Such is the case for Philip Vincent and his prestigious company Vincent Motorcycles which, in its time, produced motorbikes that broke multiple land speed records, and is now the subject of David Lancaster’s documentary, Speed is Expensive.
“My father owned Vincent motorcycles. He and my mother used to travel around Europe on their Vincents during the ‘50s and ‘60s,” shares Lancaster. “I have always been around them and I realised that sometimes the best stories are right in front of you.”
Narrated by Ewan McGregor, the documentary chronicles the heyday of Vincent Motorcycles, when the firm claimed the outright world speed record of 185mph, to the final days of the penniless Philip Vincent.
“We tracked down the remaining people who had worked at the factory and managed to get interviews with 14 of them,” says Lancaster. “It all sort of changed when we got access to Vincent’s family films, which he shot himself on a Bolex camera. We realised we could tell his life story, from his glamour days traveling between Argentina and the UK, to when he died in 1979, living in public housing.”
Although Speed is Expensive is Lancaster’s first foray into long-form directing, he has previously worked as a director on Top Gear and has contributed as a journalist to print magazines such as The Times.
“In the ‘90s, I was a director on Top Gear, before it got really big. We were still doing 4-to-5-minute pieces to camera in the car park,” Lancaster laughs.
“I’ve never quite constructed something of this length or this depth. You’ve got to start at the foothills and work your way upwards. I was just lucky I had some great people who helped me.”
The title of the documentary, Speed is Expensive, is layered in its meaning. First, creating a motorcycle that is capable of reaching breakneck speeds is quite literally expensive. Then, to wilfully control and push such a powerful machine to its limit is a high-priced endeavour that can cost people their lives. In Philip Vincent’s case, a devastating accident on one of his own vehicles led to severe injury and long-term personality issues.
“You sort of have to look at motorcycling like horse riding or skydiving. There is a risk. I don’t know a motorcyclist who hasn’t had some sort of accident. You just have to let that sit in your mind and obviously drive defensively,” says Lancaster. “All of us have this sense of adventure and ambition. Whether it is going into the world and making documentaries or films or, as it is for me, getting on a motorcycle with friends and doing 80 miles an hour.”
That sentiment is shared by various well-known motorcycle enthusiasts who feature in the documentary, such as comedian and talk show host Jay Leno and McGregor.
“Our producer (James Salter) knew a few motorcycle friends of Ewan, so he reached out to him. Then, in the middle of the lockdown, it was sort of out of the blue, Ewan called and said ‘Hey send me the script, I really like the sound of it’,” recalls Lancaster. “Ewan obviously knew the story a little bit, but he’s more into Italian Moto Guzzis than the British bikes, so he was interested to learn more. He was sort of in the position of the audience, who had probably heard about the Vincent Black Shadow, but didn’t know much more than that.”
There is no prerequisite knowledge of motorcycle history necessary to enjoy Speed Is Expensive. Whilst the technical aspects of the masterful engineering are interesting, what was more important to Lancaster and his team was “the human story behind the motorcycle.
“The motorcycle is more a vehicle for all the Vincent team’s ambitions, hopes and dreams. That is all encapsulated into this one very peculiar motorcycle,” says Lancaster. “They’re not as sensible as a car or as useful as a plane, so it kind of embodies this enthusiasm and passion.”
