Brough Superior sold for £166,500
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BONHAMS AUCTIONEERS celebrated its best-ever motorcycle sale at Stafford on Sunday,
April 27, achieving several world record prices in a storming sale that realised
£2,112,099. This is the highest ever sale total for any UK motorcycle auction.
The sale was the first of four dedicated motorcycle sales at Bonhams this
year, and launched the 2008 calendar with 88% of all lots selling and the top
three bikes each realising over £100,000 - all three selling to UK private
collectors.
The 1934 Brough Superior 996cc SS100 made top price of £166,500 - a world
record price for the model and the highest price ever paid for a British
motorcycle at auction. This beat the previous record of £163,600 for a 1954 AJS
Porcupine also sold by Bonhams at Stafford in 2000.
The Brough Superior, a rare example of this legendary pre-war superbike,
represented the JAP-engined SS100 in its ultimate form. Incorporating 'two of
everything' (carburetors, magnetos, oil pumps), it was one of only six made to
this specification in 1934 and retained its original frame, engine and
registration mark. The machine formed part of the Murray Motorcycle Museum
Collection in the Isle of Man from 1973 to 2005.
Other highlights included:
- 1928 Coventry-Eagle 980cc Flying-8 - sold for £100,500 (estimate £50,000 -
60,000). One of only a relative handful of overhead-valve-engined Flying-8s
known to survive, this 1928 example was in highly original 'oily rag'
condition and was offered for sale for the first time in 25 years.
A 1928 Windhoff 746cc Four - sold for £100,500. A rare survivor of this
innovative German marque, this unique and imposing machine had undergone a
complete restoration prior to the sale.
A 1953 Vincent 998cc Series-C Black Shadow - sold £58,700 (estimate £30,000
- 40,000). This highly sought-after Vincent - owned by two brothers for the
first 50 years of its life - was sold by the third owner who undertook a
sympathetic restoration of the remarkably original machine.
Vincent and Brough models were very much in demand and were 100% sold in
the Bonhams' sale. These included a 1950 Vincent 998cc Series-C Shadow (œ
41,100), the Vincent Owners Club Spares Company 2007 998cc Black Shadow (£34,500)
and the 1935 Brough Superior 982cc SS80 (£36,700).
The ex-Geoff Dodkin, Barcelona 24 Hours, Brands Hatch 500 miles, Isle of
Man TT class-winning 1964 Velocette Thruxton 498cc Production Racing
Motorcycle sold for £37,800 (estimate £19,500 - 22,000).
Two helmets sold for well above pre-sale estimates: the Barry Sheene Bell
racing helmet, worn during the 1974 season and the first to carry his famous
number 7, sold for £5,520 (estimate £1,500 - 2,000), and the Premier racing
helmet worn by Phil Read to win his final 500cc World Championship, sold for
£6,210 (estimate £1,000 - 1,500).
Ben Walker, Head of Bonhams' Motorcycle Department said: "We were naturally
delighted with the results we achieved for our vendors. We attracted
worldwide interest and the depth of competitive bidding on some motorcycles was
extraordinary. We have a list of many customers still anxious to acquire various
models and this all bodes well for the special single owner collections that
Bonhams will be handling later this year: The Professor Fritz Ehn Museum
Collection in June and the Brian Verrall Collection in September."
