Rare Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica heading under the hammer
Built to honour Mike Hailwood's famous 1978 Isle of Man TT comeback victory, the MHR became a Ducati icon in its own right.
Long before manufacturers started building limited-edition replicas for every championship victory and race win, Ducati produced one of the original tribute motorcycles. The Mike Hailwood Replica arrived as a celebration of Hailwood's remarkable victory in the 1978 Formula One TT on the Isle of Man.
Having spent more than a decade away from motorcycle racing, Hailwood returned to the Mountain Course aboard a Ducati and promptly beat a field of younger riders to produce one of the sport's most memorable comeback stories. Following the victory, Ducati wasted little time turning the achievement into a road bike.
The resulting MHR became one of the defining Ducati models of the late 1970s and early 1980s, helping establish the idea of the race replica long before the term became commonplace.
A 1984 example representing the final evolution of the model is now heading to Iconic Auctioneers' Kempton Park sale.
Described as largely original and unrestored, it offers something increasingly difficult to find in the classic motorcycle world: authenticity. Many surviving MHR models have been restored, modified or rebuilt during the decades since they left Bologna, making honest original examples increasingly desirable.
The bike carries an estimate of between £6,000 and £8,000, which feels relatively modest given both its historical importance and Ducati's current standing among collectors. More importantly, the MHR represents far more than a paint scheme or a sticker package. Without Mike Hailwood's comeback victory and the special edition that followed it, the idea of the modern race replica may have looked very different indeed.
Find the full listing on the official website.
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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!
