Vincent Black Prince was termed the motorcycle you either love or hate. "The Motor Cycle" road tested a Black Prince and concluded that it handled as well as the Vincent Black Shadow with improved fuel consumption. Production of the Black Prince began in early 1955. Lucas components replaced the less reliable Miller electrical system, and better ignition – upgraded to coil and distributor – together with Amal Monobloc carburettors improved starting. The rear enclosure, which incorporated the oil tank, was hinged to allow access to the rear wheel and final drive chain. The centre stand was operated by a lever accessible from the
Honda Shadow speedometer mounted on the tank (the same as European and Australian versions). The 750cc Shadow ACE was the best-selling model in Honda's 2002 street motorcycle lineup. For 2002 and 2003, rather than the standard VT750C standard model, Honda manufactured only VT750CD (Deluxe) or VT750DC (Spirit) models. For the 2001 model year, Honda added a slightly modified version of the VT750C to the Shadow line, the VT750DC "Shadow Spirit (North American models, Shadow Black Widow in Europe) with lower gearing and street-rod or chopper style bodywork. The VT750DC Shadow was exported to Australia, and Honda's domestic market version was the NV750DC