If there’s one thing we love here at wBW, it’s moto-inspired eye candy – and what better place to take a gander than the Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale?
The most recent press release to hunker down in our inbox tells us that the brace of bikes highlighting the sale are restoration projects, with a nice range of machines representing Brough Superior’s Golden Age – and also guaranteeing a pretty win for the contents of whoever’s pockets will go deep enough for the final bid.
Included in the lineup is an iconic 1929 996CC SS100 ‘Alpine Grand Sports’ Sprint Special – named for the wild SS100s in the 1925 Austrian Alpine Trial.
Notable names to have swung a leg over include Reg Barton and Dick Knight, the latter of which “fitted the motorcycle with an ex-Eric Fernihough Brooklands racing engine, built by the solo lap speed record holder at the famous Surrey racetrack, with the engine timing case stamped ‘Supplied by Fernihough Brooklands’.”
We and the lads at Bonhams are expecting this to go for somewhere between £70,000 – £100,000.
Also in the pile is a pretty 1951 Swiss Grand Prix-winning 1948 Velocette 348cc KTT MkVII Racing Motorcycle (ridden to victory by Les Graham), owned by a loyal fan who sat on it as a schoolboy and finally got his fingers on the throttle years later, before giving the machine up to this auction with oncoming health problems.
With the rest of the list including a 1936 Brough Superior 982CC SS100 (estimated to chop the block at £120,000 – £180,000), a 1963 BSA 646cc Rocket Gold Star (£16,000 – 20,000), a 1961 Triumph 649cc T120R Bonneville (£8,000 – 14,000) and a 1966 Velocette 499cc Venom Thruxton (£16,000 – 20,000), with motorcycle design history represented by everything from a 1910 Triumph 31/2 HP (£8,000 – 14,000) to “an incredible one-owner low-mileage 1988 Honda VFR75OR Type RC30 (estimate £20,000 – 30,000),” we’re anticipating quite the bidding war.
The following is a statement from James Stensel, Head of Bonhams Motorcycles (UK):
“We’ve a fantastic selection of motorcycles entered for the forthcoming Spring Sale at Stafford. The Brough Superior Projects have tons of character and all-important patina, and the Sprint Special is without question one of the most exciting racing Brough Superior’s we’ve had the pleasure of offering.”
“Our two-day Spring Stafford Sale is set to be one of the most exciting yet with an incredible mix of Veteran, Vintage, Classic and Racing Motorcycles.”
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Drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.