For the un-educated (via Wikipedia):

One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton, or Triumph concerns. Renowned for the quality of their products, the company was ‘always in the picture’ in international motorcycle racing, from the mid-1920s through the 1950s, culminating in two world championship titles (1949–1950 350 cc) and their legendary and still-unbeaten 24 hours at 100 mph (161 km/h) record. Veloce, while small, was a great technical innovator and many of their patented designs are commonplace on motorcycles today, including the positive-stop foot shift and swingarm rear fork with hydraulic shocks.

(Photo © G. Mortillaro | Knucklebuster Inc. 2008)