Ever wanted to own your own Britten V1000? Here’s your chance
A new officially released Britten V1000 model kit brings the legend of John Britten’s groundbreaking racer within reach of ordinary fans, even if only at scale.
Owning a Britten V1000 is one of motorcycling’s great impossibilities. Fewer than a dozen were ever built, most now live in museums or private collections, and if one did somehow come up for sale, you’d need a lottery win or a very understanding bank manager to bring it home.
Well, until today, that is, because while this isn’t a real V1000, it may be the closest most of us will ever get to actually owning one.
After a long wait, the Britten Motorcycle Company has released its new high-detail V1000 scale model kit. But this isn't a toy or a casual shelf filler; it’s a proper, time-consuming build, with more than 200 individual parts, over 150 decals and a 25-page instruction manual. In short, it demands the same kind of commitment that the real bike did.
Each kit includes two colour options, along with the choice of replicating carbon fibre finishes on the appropriate panels or painting them black. Every model is individually numbered, which feels entirely appropriate for something carrying the Britten name.
Production has been slow, and deliberately so. Britten says the kits are intensive to manufacture, which explains both the delay and the modest initial release. The first run consists of 60 kits, with the earliest examples reserved, and there’s already a waiting list of around 150 people, some of whom have been queued for years.
Those on the list will be contacted directly and offered the chance to buy on a first-come, first-served basis. If they pass, the option moves down the line. Further production runs are planned every two to three months, and while this isn’t intended as a limited edition model, availability is unlikely to be immediate. Once existing demand is met, the kits will be sold through the Britten website.
The price is set at $795 NZD plus postage, which works out at roughly £350. While that is a fair chunk more than your average Tamiya kit, it is a Britten, sold by Britten, so that makes it a little bit special. Given that an original V1000 would likely command seven figures, this is about as accessible as the Britten dream gets.
There’s a certain irony in all this. The Britten V1000 was never meant to be admired behind glass. It was built to race, to win, and to upset the establishment. But decades on, this painstakingly detailed replica may be the most honest way most fans will ever engage with one.
To find out when the rest of the models land on the open market, keep an eye on the Britten Motorcycle Company official website.
Images: Britten Motorcycle Company / Facebook
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!