In 1925, 69 Brough Superior SS100s were built. Each came with written assurance that it had been timed at 100 mph, approximately 161 km/h, on a private road. The speed had been demonstrated by that motorcycle, rather than merely promised in an advertisement.
The SS100’s reputation also rested on its combination of components. The 1927 Pendine version used a 998 cc JAP V-twin and a three-speed Sturmey-Archer gearbox. Brough drew on specialist suppliers, bringing their parts together into a motorcycle of his own design.
Development continued after the model’s debut. In mid-1926, the SS100 gained reinforcement around its steering head. The stripped-down Pendine appeared at that year’s motorcycle show, offering a guaranteed maximum of 110 mph, approximately 177 km/h.
T. E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, also became closely associated with the marque. A friend of George Brough, he bought seven Brough Superior motorcycles, beginning in 1922. The SS100 story therefore connects engineering with a prominent personality of the interwar years.