It was a record-breaking show at the Stafford County Showground at the end of April, as auction values hit the roof. With more than 20,000 visitors in attendance, the annual event was the best yet, according to the organisers, Kelsey Media. The event featured over 1000 classic machines, 100 motorcycle clubs, more than 600 trade stands, the GP Paddock and a massive classic bike auction. Special guests John McGuinness MBE, 23-time Isle of Man TT winner, and Dean Harrison, multiple TT winner, made personal appearances throughout the weekend, signing autographs, telling tales of the TT and meeting fans.
Emma Bedford, event director at Kelsey Media, said: “It was fabulous to bring the best of classic motorcycling together again at Stafford, with more than 20,000 classic bike enthusiasts coming together to celebrate with us. We were honoured to host a record-breaking Bonhams auction, alongside our guest speakers, GP fire-ups, traders, clubs and the Cavalcade. This is an established show with a huge, loyal visitor base, and we are excited to start work on the next event in October, where visitors can expect new and exciting features to delight them.”
Meanwhile, the Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale, which runs alongside the show, rewrote the auction record books – twice. The sale achieved a total of £4.208m, with 100% of lots sold on day one and 96% on day two. The standout lot was an ex-works 1965 MV Agusta 500cc GP race bike, ridden by Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, which had an estimate price of £160,000-£220,000, but actually sold for a staggering £967,000, setting a new auction world record for an Italian motorcycle, and the second-highest price ever paid for a motorcycle at auction worldwide. Then, Barry Sheene’s 1977 World Championship-winning works Suzuki RG500 XR14 also set a new world record for a Japanese motorcycle, selling for £506,000.
Ben Walker, international department director at Bonhams, said: “The Bonhams Stafford Sale was a landmark event in the bike community that will be remembered by those who attended for years to come. We established two new world records and got very close to the outright world record for the auction sale price of a motorcycle.”