The springtime auction scene – the busiest period of the year – sees some extraordinary lots come to the auction block, including a 48-cylinder special and an Aston Martin V-twin!
The most flamboyant is a 48-cylinder special. Yes, 48 cylinders – all from Kawasaki 250 two-stroke triples. Arranged in triple decks on both sides, this 4.2-litre edifice of cylinders has to be seen to be believed. A highlight at the main classic sale of the year by Bonhams at the Stafford Classic Motor Cycle Show (20-21 April), Tinker Toy carries a £40,000-£60,000 estimate.
At almost three times that estimate – £120,000-£150,000 – a Vincent Black Lightning 1000cc V-twin is Bonhams’ April star lot in value terms. The 14th of 34 Black Lightnings made by the Stevenage, Hertfordshire, factory up to 1955, this classic speed god has the auction world holding its breath in anticipation.
Italian exotics appearing at the Bonhams bonanza include a baroque-style 1959 single-cylinder DOHC Benelli Grand Prix racer. One of three, it is reckoned to be the only runner in existence. Estimate is £40,000-£60,000. Last year Bonhams grossed over £3m at this sale.
Tinker Toy: 4.2 litres, 48 cylinders. Estimated to go from £40k upwards!Did you know that Aston Martin has put its name to a motorcycle? You could have one for an estimated £150,000-£200,000. The eighth of 88 made in conjunction with Brough Superior in Toulouse, France, it comes to auction at Iconic’s Shuttleworth aircraft museum sale on 7 April. This 997cc V-twin is reckoned to give 225hp. It looks sensational, like Aston Martin’s F1 cars, and comes in the same colours.
Other big bucks and interesting Iconic lots include a 1939 Brough Superior SS80 V-twin with Brough sidecar (estimate £60,000-£70,000) and a Japanese 1959 Colleda 250 TT twin-cylinder two-stroke (£12,000-£14,000). A forerunner to the Suzuki marque, the Colleda is reckoned to be one of only a dozen survivors and the only one known outside Japan.
Factory and bespoke custom bikes came out tops at the Bristol Classic Show Dore & Rees auction (Shepton Mallet, Somerset, 25 February). This is indicative of a widening horizon on the auction scene. An American Confederate X132 Hellcat Combat V-twin cost its new owner £27,600, blowing more traditional classics out of the water.
Backing it up in second and fourth spots were a 1972 Triumph X75 Hurricane triple styled by American Craig Vetter (£22,250) and a 2011 Harley-Davidson 1200 V-twin custom (£13,225) by Battistini of Bournemouth. Prices include premium and VAT.
In America, a market trend in rising values for Japanese models was evident when a 1977 Yamaha XT500D single made £17,407, and a 1975 Kawasaki H2C 500 two-stroke triple made £26,131. The XT500 could be an auction record, and the Kawasaki 500 is up there with Z1 900 values. Also rising to new heights was a Spanish 1969 Bultaco Sherpa T 250 trials bike at £21,776. These prices were made by Mecum at Las Vegas, Nevada, in January. The top seller was a 1928 four-cylinder Indian Ace at £174,217.
As well as the big-money bikes, there are now plenty of bargains at auction. Most auction houses are persuading more and more sellers to enter machines at no reserve. This ensures a result and entices buyers to pitch in. The classic auction scene has matured to the point where there are, in effect, more bikes than buyers. As a result, it’s difficult to predict what will sell and for how much. That said, the auction scene hasn’t lost its confidence and continues to adapt and surprise. This includes more online sales.
2024 Auction Dates
- 4 Apr BCA online
- 7 Apr Iconic, Shuttleworth Aircraft Museum, Bedfordshire
- 18 Apr BCA online
- 18 Apr Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 19 Apr Cheffins, Sutton, Cambridgeshire
- 20 Apr Bonhams, Stafford Showground
- 2 May BCA online
- 16 May BCA online
- 16 May Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 30 May BCA online
- 30 May HJ Pugh, Ledbury, Herefordshire
- 12 Jun Mathewsons online, Pickering
- 13 Jun BCA online
- 20 Jun Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 27 Jun BCA online
- 3 Jul H&H, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, Birmingham
- 6 Jul Spicers, Goole, E Yorks
- 11 Jul BCA online
- 14 Jul Iconic, Shuttleworth Aircraft Museum, Bedfordshire
- 18 Jul Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 19 Jul Cheffins, Sutton, Cambridgeshire
- 24 Jul Mathewsons online, Pickering
- 25 Jul BCA online
- 8 Aug BCA online
- 15 Aug Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 22 Aug BCA online
- 29 Aug Newark Motor Auctions, Nottinghamshire
- 4 Sept Mathewsons online, Pickering
- 5 Sept BCA online
- 19 Sept BCA online
- 19 Sept Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 3 Oct BCA online
- 12 Oct Bonhams Stafford
- 16 Oct Mathewsons online, Pickering
- 17 Oct BCA online
- 17 Oct Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 18 Oct Cheffins, Sutton, Cambridgeshire
- 30 Oct H&H, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, Birmingham
- 31 Oct BCA online
- 10 Nov Iconic, Shuttleworth Aircraft Museum, Bedfordshire
- 14 Nov BCA online
- 21 Nov Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
- 27 Nov Mathewsons online, Pickering
- 28 Nov BCA online
- 12 Dec BCA online
- 19 Dec Fleet Auction Group, Loughborough
Further dates to be announced