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
Black Prince Buses of routes centred on Morley in competition with Yorkshire Rider. A variety of second-hand vehicles were acquired to operate the routes, and a livery of red and yellow introduced. By 2004, Black Prince operated a fleet of 40 vehicles on a network of routes around Leeds, with an annual turnover of almost £3 million. Many of its routes competed with Yorkshire Rider's successor First Leeds. In May 2005, FirstGroup announced its intention to purchase Black Prince. Although this move reduced competition in Leeds, it was approved by the Office of Fair Trading as Black Prince had intended to close if