As always, the event at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet on February 18 and 19 is a must, packed with bikes, bits and things to buy for your winter project, and where the latest restorations make their first appearance.
But this year the season really starts with a bang… from the Bonham’s gavel!
The auction house is holding a brand new sale of vintage and classic motorcycles, and Bonhams bosses couldn’t be more delighted.
Ben Walker, Bonhams’ head of motorcycles, said: “We are delighted to have been invited to hold an auction at this ever-popular event. At Bonhams we are always looking to expand our reach and make contact with motorcycle enthusiasts, and we are very excited about being at this show.”
Already confirmed as part of the auction is a superb collection of over 50 ‘barn find’ and low mileage machines which include:
• 1928 Ariel Model B De Lux (estimate £1000-1500)
• 1936 Ariel 350cc Red Hunter (estimate £1000-2000)
• 1946 Norton 16H (estimate £1000-1400)
• 1947 Velocette KSS (estimate £3000-4000)
• 1958 Panther Model 100 (estimate £1500-2000)
• 1960 Velocette Venom (estimate £3000-4000)
• 1975 Suzuki GT380 (estimate £300-800).
Together with a host of other marques spanning the 1920s to the 1960s.
Mr Walker said: “Barn finds always prove popular and to find a collection as untouched as this is a rare event. The motorcycles on offer are all largely low mileage and have been carefully stored for decades – the tyres even held air when we inflated them.”
The rest of the show is pretty special too, as the thousands of visitors who come every year will confirm. With more than 100 years of motorcycling represented in the exhibitor halls and more than 1000 bikes on display, plus 700 trade stalls and one of the biggest dedicated bike jumbles in the UK, the Bristol show simply represents superb value for money.
You’ll need to arrive early (the show opens at 10am and closes at 5pm on both days) to make the most of it. You can pre-book for £9.50 adult, £8 for seniors and £3.50 for under-15s, but on the day prices are £11, £9.50 and £4.
There’ll be the usual excellent turnout from a variety of clubs which always pulls out the stops for Bristol, while for many classic enthusiasts, it’s the trade stalls and the jumble that take up much of the day.
Show organiser Nick Mowbray said: “Bristol has always been a great curtain-raiser for the season, now it has just got even better. The addition of Bonhams really will make it extra special.”
