1939 BROUGH SUPERIOR SS80
The “SS” in the name stands for “Super Sports”, and the SS80 was George Brough’s earliest design, dating back to 1920, several years before production actually began. Like its big brother the SS100 which Brough guaranteed would do 100 mph straight off the showroom floor, the SS80 was guaranteed to make 80 mph (130 km/h), which was no small feat in the 1930s. In keeping with its class-leading performance, the SS80, like all Brough Superiors, was a high-end, top-quality motorcycle that was priced beyond the means of most mainstream riders. Partially because of this smaller market, and also because they were all hand-assembled to the custom specifications of the customers who ordered them, production was always quite low. As an example, total SS80 production for the 1935 model year was just 32 bikes. Early SS80s had the 998cc JAP V-twin engine, replaced in 1935 with the 982cc Matchless V-twin. Throughout its entire history from 1924 through 1939, a total of only 1,086 SS80s were produced, making this 1939 Brough Superior SS80 quite a rare beast indeed. And this being a 1939 model, it’s final year of production, was one of the very last SS80s built
1939 Brough Superior SS80 SPECIFICATIONS
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Model designation Engine type Engine manufacturer Displacement Engine output Gearbox Wheelbase Fuel capacity |
1939 Brough Superior SS80 Air-cooled OHV 50-degree V-twin Matchless 998cc / 60.9 ci 45 hp @ 5000 rpm Norton 4-speed, right-foot shift 59.0″ / 1499mm 4.8 US gal / 18 liters |