



Patrick was passionate about all Vincents. He first learned of our Egli special chassis from our successes with Fritz Peier and Florian Bürki, racing on British circuits. Soon, Patrick serviced Egli-Vincents in his Malaunay workshop; these were early machines delivered to French customers. He was very pleased with the handling, with the weight saving and soon a commercial cooperation started. Patrick became our French distributor for the Egli-Vincent chassis.


I finish with some of the words I said at Patrick’s funeral service:
‘Your decision was strong and brave, as you were. I was shocked. All our friends were shocked. Then we learned the brutal facts and we understood and accepted it. Patrick, sometime, somewhere in the universe we will re-unite: there will be no pressing burdens, no speed limits. Farewell my dear friend. We will meet again, with our Vincents, and we will release the clutch, and open the throttle.’

I was lucky enough to meet Patrick about twelve years ago when an old friend, Peter Fox, suggested we ride down together to Malaunay on Peter’s Godet Egli Vincent and the Ducati 750SS I owned back then. The Egli was going home to Patrick for its first service. We arrived quite damp after a good fast haul down the A16 from Calais. Patrick looked over the Ducati and said: ‘if you like café racer – you must try mine’. It was the first of several trips in Springtime, sometimes by van, to bring back or collect a bike. Usually we spent day or so looking at the latest developments in the works, followed by an excellent dinner with Patrick in Rouen or nearby.



We are all so sad to lose him. Patrick was one of those rare people with the enthusiasm to enhance other peoples’ lives – ‘a true keeper of the flame’, a passionate and skillful designer and engineer, and a lovely guy.

‘Small Library Burns Down In Normandy‘
Patrick Godet became friends with my parents in the early ’70s, although in terms of age he was closer to my brother and me. He stayed with us often in London usually to attend Vincent Owners’ Club (VOC) events. I remember teaching him to play cricket as a youngster. He would always remind me of this. Patrick’s mind was a ‘sponge’ for anything Vincent-related even then, picking the brains of survivors such as Phil Irving, Eddie Stevens, PCV himself, even Rollie Free at the North American Rally in ’77. He returned home to set up the Section de France and unearthed the original French importer of the marque. Patrick grilled M.Garron about any remaining bikes or parts that he knew of.

Dad and I rode to Patrick’s first French Section Rally. His family in Normandy seemed rather grand with a chateau and a haulage firm to pay for it. His brother was a fine artist in oils I recall. By the mid ’80s, I was working for Mark Williams of Bike magazine fame. Patrick was racing then and converting old Comets to Grey Flash spec (somewhat controversially). Editor Rick Kemp and I covered all this happily as Godet and his projects were always good copy. Patrick’s step-son was staying with me in London and Patrick came to visit us in a client’s Aston Martin DB6. So things were going smoothly.

There was some sadness in Patrick’s personal life, although he lived what always seemed the most enviable and worldly bachelor lifestyle. He was a product of les trente glorieuses and it may be that a sense of entitlement was part of the configuration, but his charm and seeming innocence remained effortless and natural. He could light up a pub, bikers’ beer tent or any haute brasserie. That changed after Sylvie died three years ago. Patrick was devastated. But he remained unfailingly kind and hospitable to me and my family. It felt like he would always be there for advice and a chat. A ride through Rouen will not be the same without stopping for lunch with Patrick. I can’t tell you how much I will miss him.

In 1991 Argentina lifted restrictions on the export of its ‘national treasures’. These included some 800 Vincent HRDs imported from 1946 to 1950 when the going was good there (not so good in England). The first production Lightning, first Series C Shadow and other glories were said to be among them. Most, in fact, were destined for the Federal Police and Peron’s Presidential Guard, plus a few ”playboys” who would ”tit up and down the Avenida 9 de Julio” (my translation, from memory).

Patrick and I had spoken of these bikes when I lived in Paris. We would sometimes retourner le monde into the small hours. But we were not alone. The Argentine Vins had been legendary – like a lost tribe – so there was a bit of a gold rush on. I had picked up some colloquial Spanish in a muralist brigade in Chile in earlier years, so I mugged up on my Series B parts list and eargerly took up Patrick’s invitation to go big Vin-hunting with him in the Argentine. I read all I could find in the house journal of the VOC going back decades, and consulted a couple of old hands: WW2 veteran Jack Barker and USAF pilot Alex Nofsger had both been down and come away empty handed pre-embargo days.

Loaded with 19” B spec. sports mudguards – which Patrick rightly guessed would be suitable bargaining chips – I arrived at Buenos Aires airport where Patrick failed to turn up. First visit was to the offices of the original Vincent importers, Cemic, with colonial blinds and ceiling fans as I recall. Everything and everyone seemed to be from ‘central casting’. Then it was mostly gum shoe/barn find stuff: asking around at old garages, flea-pits, bars etc. As always, Patrick seemed to fit in wherever we went, even without any Spanish. We set ourselves a limit of one thousand pounds sterling per twin. This meant turning down some real lovelies when, out in the pampas grass, a gaucho-type would dust off a copy of the Classic Bike buyer’s guide, much to our dismay. The state of the bikes, however, was usually dire. They’d not been run for decades and there were hardly any matching numbers, or often even numbers at all.

In 1950 el Presidente had imposed severe restrictions on imports. Phillip Vincent himself was Anglo-Argentine – we met his sister in Buenos Aires – and close to a quarter of his twins had been exported there. But not even the most basic spares could subsequently get through without bribery or major hassle. Patrick and I were continually amazed – and genuinely impressed – by the subsequent historic adaptations employed to keep these things on the road. Everything, from chain links to servo-clutch parts, had been hand-machined, often evidently to increase horsepower. We were initially puzzled by the widespread gaffer-taping of girder forks to look like the more up-to-date Series C Girdraulics, but accepted this as a ‘streamlining’ vogue. Hmm. We bagged about a dozen ‘complete’ bikes and enough spares to help fill up a shipping container. Without the Godet garage and expertise, however, I am not sure that it would have been worth it. Patrick’s passion was for the marque, and with him is lost a lifetime of expertise and magic. And a rare old friend.
Back in the 1960s on family holidays we visited Fritz’s workshops when he was building his Egli prototypes, mostly with Series B engines. Looking back now, I wonder what Patrick had had in mind for all those Argentine B Rapide lumps with near-useless cycle parts.

During the 1970s and ’80s, I regularly spent summers in Europe riding my Vincent. I met Patrick in 1976, at the first French section VOC rally in Normandy which he organised, riding there with Alan Lancaster and Bryan Philips. In many ways, this set the pattern for many miles and adventures with him: we got lost in the fog off the boat in Dieppe, and came across the rally site by chance.

We took in the sights of his home town, met some girls, and it dawned on me this man was the King of Rouen. His family ran a transport business and soon I was working on Renault diesel engines there. In the evenings I would return to his home – on Rue de Vincent – where sumptuous meals would appear from one of his female friends. The foreman at the family firm, a wonderful man called Henry, saved Patrick’s ass too many times to count. It was a magical time. His cellar was full of Vincent spares and due to his ability there was a never a broken Vincent there for long.

He visited me often in Maryland, helping me build up a Comet from a basket case, which is still racing around in Class C. He was generous beyond belief.

I was saddened to hear of the death of Patrick Godet. Patrick contributed greatly towards keeping the Vincent name alive. His work in restoring Vincents was exemplary, creating demand from many Vincent owners including my son. His Godet racing team competed on Vincents at many veteran events including the Isle of Man Classic TT and Spa-Francorchamps. His contribution to motorcycling was boundless. He will be missed by many.

I can remember the first time I met Patrick. Or at least the first time that I could remember meeting Patrick. I was at a VOC international rally, about 15 or 16 years old, having received notice the rally was taking place in Essex close to where I was living at the time. I was sat chatting with Bryan Phillips when two Frenchmen approached. Before Bryan could introduce us, Patrick already knew who I was – I wasn’t quite sure how. I must admit that at that moment I had no idea who he was, and found it odd that I hadn’t had to be introduced.


Sandra Gillard (friend and photographer):
In 2012, I wrote an e-mail to Patrick asking about photographing a Vincent. With this simple question, I went in August 2013 to his workshop to shoot the jewels he created and restored. Within a day, I had ridden an Egli-Vincent-Godet 1330 for the first time in my life. From there, I dreamed, travelled and rode with Patrick and his Vincent. Together, for the next five years, we began to write a page of a story that belongs to us. Patrick often told me I was his bench he could rest on.




I think a lot of us were waiting for this one. One of the greats. He’ll to be missed.
Finally mon ami ! And may I say in light of the length and depth of your tribute .. though my impatience came screaming though on more than one occasion … well ..
.. it was well worth the wait !!! Noe if someone would only do a book on the man …. hint hint . 😎
Patrick Godet . An iconoclast as well as an icon who’s time came too soon . Ride On PG .. if only in our memories
Fritz Egli wrote me yesterday evening. He was so touched by this article and the pictures. I’m so touched too. Thank you so much. Ride in peace mon Sorcier.
Very touching, after reading this I feel like Patrick could have been a friend….
Hello,
In the article “Patrick Godet remembered”, you used 2 of my photos. On the one hand, it is nice to notice that my photos appear on your blog but on the other, my photos have copyright and you should at least have asked my permission. The caption under the 6th photo even says “David Lancaster” instead of my name (which is clearly visible at the bottom of the photo itself).
I would like some clarification here.
And yes, the application form on your blog doesn’t work.
Best regards,
Paul Coene
Hi Paul,
many apologies for 1. using your photos without permission 2. mis-attributing them!
May we continue to use them in the story? I’ve changed the ID on the second photo to credit you.
The images were supplied by the various contributors, so I assumed they had permission to send them, but there you are. Sometimes we miss.
If you’d like to be listed on our Contributors page, please send a photo, and any link you’d prefer.
all the best, Paul
Paul, please feel free to continue to use them in this valuable article. And I appreciate your reply.
A less familiar example of Patrick’s work. A pillion friendly Roadster commissioned with Craven Luggage. (not fitted here) https://www.redbubble.com/people/mzsupa5/works/5046923-egli-vincent?asc=u&p=poster&rel=carousel
Indeed – Godet built touring and sidecar versions of all his bikes!
Every time I walk into my shed The Vincent strikes at me with the beautiful power of aesthetic perfection – I think about the day Patrick turned up after a long drive. He decorated the evening with smiles and fun character, I miss his unmistakeable accent when he called. My heart goes out to his family and close friends.
Very sad that Patrick has passed away, a great enthusiast and craftsman.
A nice article though Paul and a fitting tribute to Patrick, I am sure he would have appreciated it.
Paul Norman
http://www.RacingVincent.co.uk
Ciao Monsieur PATRICK GODET… grazie per tutto ciò che mi hai regalato.