Bonhams’ annual Spring Stafford Sale, (27/28 April 2019 at the 39th Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show), the UK’s leading pioneer, vintage and collectors’ motorcycle auction, is extending its 2019 edition over two days to feature no fewer than 400 important motorcycles.
The two-day sale will represent the A-Z of motorcycling, offering more than 100 individual marques and 200 lots of motorcycle spares and associated memorabilia, reflecting the strength of the classic motorcycle market.
Bonhams is the auction house of choice for the sale of
important single-owner collections and the Spring Stafford Sale includes four
key collections:
The R. J. Gardiner
Collection (Lots 308 – 330) – A fine collection of mostly
ex-works competition motorcycles;
The Sant Hilari
Collection (Lots 202 – 307) – Over 100 important MX and
Enduro motorcycles, to be offered entirely Without
Reserve;
An
Important European Collection (Lots
610 – 624) – 15 technically interesting Vintage machines;
The
late Mike Taylour Collection (Lots
331 – 348) – one of the world’s foremost collectors of ‘Black Ariels’.
Highlights
of the R. J. Gardiner Collection include:
Triumph 649cc TR6SS
Trophy ridden by American Bud Ekins to win a Gold Medal in
that year’s ISDT (authenticated by Bud and offered with a framed 1962 ISDT
poster and the cup awarded to him for his individual class win). A consummate
off-road racer, bike restorer, occasional stunt rider, and all-American hero,
Ekins was a close friend of actor Steve McQueen and performed the famous
motorcycle jump (as McQueen’s stunt double) in the movie The Great Escape. Estimate
£20,000 – 30,000.
1946 works AJS 348cc
Model 16 ridden by Hugh Viney to win the 1947 Scottish Six
Days Trial on his debut appearance. Estimate £10,000 – 14,000.
Jack Stocker’s 1951
International Six Days Trial (ISDT) Gold Medal-winning works Royal Enfield 495cc
Twin The only known survivor of four built. Estimate £8,000
– 12,000
Ex-works 1958 Ariel
497cc HT5 ridden by Gold Medal-winner Ron Langston in that
year’s ISDT. Estimate £7,000 – 10,000.
Two-time World Motocross
Champion Jeff Smith’s works 1960 BSA 250cc C15T Trials
that he rode in the 1963 British Experts Trial, the last important title he
won. Estimate £6,000 – 8,000.
Roy Peplow’s 1961
Triumph 490cc Trials A one-off that he built while at
Triumph and the only unitary construction ‘500’ works entry. Estimate £7,000 –
10,000.
Offered
from an important private European collection are two rare European classics:
1928 BMW 500cc R57
one of only 1,012 examples made of this overhead-valve sports roadster.
Estimate £55,000 – 75,000.
1926 Moto Guzzi 498cc
C2V the Italian factory’s first purpose-built racing model.
Estimate £50,000 – 70,000.
In addition to the countless off-road competition machines, the sale includes notable track racing motorcycles such as the 1928 OK Supreme 250cc racing motorcycle (estimate £50,000 – 60,000), widely accepted as that ridden by Frank Longman to win the 1928 Isle of Man Lightweight TT, the only TT victory achieved by this British manufacturer.
1928 OK Supreme 250cc
Racing Motorcycle
Fast-forwarding
54 years, the works 1982 Suzuki 998cc
XR69 TT Formula 1 racer (estimate £90,000 – 120,000) is
offered for sale by its rider, seven-times IoM TT winner, Mick Grant, who rode
this machine to victory in the 1982 North West 200. Suzuki gave the XR69 to
Mick when he retired in 1985.
Among
the road-bike exotica is an example of the earliest and most collectible ‘sand-cast’ version of
Honda’s seminal CB750 (estimate £24,000 – 28,000). Launched
at the 1968 Tokyo Show, the first examples had sand-cast crankcases, whereas
all subsequent variants had die-cast cases. Dating from 1969, this example is
offered from a prominent UK private collection.
Naturally,
no Stafford Sale would be complete without an MV Agusta and on this occasion
Bonhams is offering a 1976 MV Agusta 789cc
750S America (£50,000 – 70,000), restored in 2018 and
incorporating a Magni chain drive conversion.
James
Stensel (Head of Collectors Motorcycles, UK) said: “The Stafford sales have
grown exponentially in recent years demonstrating the continuing popularity of
classic motorcycles around the globe. The Bonhams motorcycle team has carefully
sourced over 400 incredible machines, making for another truly memorable
auction.
We
look forward to welcoming clients both new and old to Europe’s largest and
longest standing motorcycle auction at the International Classic MotorCycle
Show”.
Visit www.bonhams.com/springstafford to view the
full catalogue listing.
VIEWING
Saturday 27 April 9am to 5pm
Sunday 28 April from 9am
SALE TIMES
Saturday 27 April
Spares, Memorabilia (Lots 1 – 198) 10am
Motorcycles (Lots 201 – 348) 1pm
Sunday 28 April
Motorcycles (Lot 401 – 662) 10am
Contact our Bids team to pre-register for this landmark auction.
BIDS
+44 (0) 20 7447 7447
+44 (0) 20 7447 7401 fax
[email protected]
LOT ENQUIRIES
+44 (0) 20 8963 2817
[email protected]
Media Enquiries
For
further information and images please call Lynnie Farrant on +44 (0) 20 7468
8363, or email [email protected] or [email protected].
For further information and images please call Lynnie Farrant on +44 (0) 20 7468 8363, or email [email protected] or [email protected].
