A 95 percent sell-through propelled Bonhams’ second “veteran motorcycles” auction of the year at Stafford, England, to total sales of more than $3.65 million. Pacing the sale was the 100 percent sell-through of the 48 lots from the collection of Speedway-racing legend Ivan “Millennium Man” Mauger.
The Mauger collection included not only motorcycles, among them world championship-winning machines, but also pit boards and racing leathers. Mauger’s 1969 Jawa Model 890 speedway racer sold for $24,437, a 1977 Jawa Speedway racer sold for nearly $23,000 and the 1971 long-track Jawa racer brought nearly $13,000. Part of the proceeds from the collection will benefit the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund.
Elsewhere in the auction, a 1914 Henderson 1,068cc Model C Four sold for $150,745, more than double its low pre-sale estimated value; a 1911 Pierce 688cc Four went for $143,307 and a 1912 Pierce 644cc Model 12 Single, which had been in single family ownership for 101 years, brought $119,506, more than double its high pre-sale expectation.
Among modern motorcycles, an ex-works, 2007 world championship-winning Aprilia 250cc RSW Grand Prix racer sold for $134,382.
“Sellers from across the globe continue to flock to Stafford, which remains the international hub for the sale of the world’s most important collectors’ motorcycles,” James Stensel, head of Bonhams’ UK motorcycle department, said in a news release. “Bonhams are the auction house of choice for significant one-owner collections, and no fewer than four were included in the auction, all of which performed strongly.”
Bonhams next motorcycle auction is scheduled for January 25 at the Rio hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
