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
HMS Black Prince (81) the modernisation had to be cancelled, and "Black Prince" was placed in reserve until 1953. She returned to service after refitting with simplified secondary armament with a single quad pom pom in Q position and 8 x 1 Mk3 40mm electric Bofors guns. The ship was decommissioned again two years later, and returned to the Royal Navy in 1961. "Black Prince" did not re-enter service, and was towed from Auckland to the Osaka breakage yards for scrapping in 1962. "Black Prince" was a modified "Dido" design, sometimes called "Dido" Group 2, or the "Bellona" subgroup with only four 5.25-inch mounts