Records fall at Bonhams’ bike sale

The 1962 Triumph TR6SS ridden to victory in the 1962 International Six Days Trials race by Bud Ekins – who also was the stuntman/double for Steve McQueen in the movie The Great Escape – sold for a world auction-record price at Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale this past weekend in England.

The bike sold for £97,750, more than three times its top pre-auction estimated value, Bonhams noted in its post-auction news release.

Bonhams said the bike was the subject of intense bidding and was sold to an American bidder.

Also setting a record auction price at the sale was a 1925 Coventry Eagle 981cc Flying-8, which sold to a woman bidder in the sales room for £218,500 after a three-way bidding battle.

Yet another record was set at the auction when a 1935 Vincent-HRD 498cc Series-A Comet brought £97,750. 

Overall, the auction posted a 92 percent sell-through rate and total sales of £3,892,397 ($5.027 million), a record for Bonhams’ motorcycle department.

“What an incredible weekend,” enthused James Stensel, head of Bonhams’ collectors’ motorcycles effort. “We are thrilled with the results of this sale, not only breaking our own auction record but also achieving three world auction records for individual marques and models.”

The sale also was the largest for Bonhams with more than 400 motorcycles on the docket.

Top-10 sales, Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale 2019

1. 1925 Coventry-Eagle 981cc Flying-8, £218,500 ($281,742)
2. 1926 Brough Superior 986cc SS100, Alpine Grand Sports, £207,000 ($266,913)
3. 1924 Brough Superior 980cc SS80, £126,500 ($163,113)
4. 1962 Triumph 649cc TR6SS Trophy, £97,750 ($126,042)
5. 1935 Vincent-HRD 498cc Series-A Comet, £97,700 ($126,042)
6. 1934 Brough Superior 1,096cc 11-50hp combination, £71,300 ($91,936)
7. 1951 Vincent 998cc Series-C Black Shadow, £64,400 ($83,039)
8. Parkin-Vincent 998cc Black Shadow racer ‘project,’ £62,100 ($80,074)
9. 1951 Vincent 998cc Series-C Black Shadow, £62,100 ($80,074)
10. 1968 MV Agusta 861cc ‘Magni,’ £60,950 ($78,591)

(Prices include buyer’s fee.)

The auction was staged during the 39th Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show.