Records set at Bonhams Spring Motorcycle Sale in England

The 1962 Triumph TR6SS won the 1962 International Six Days Trials race by Bud Ekins – who was also Steve McQueen’s stuntman/lookalike in the film The great Escape – sold for a world record price at auction at Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale last weekend in England.

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

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

Coventry Eagle Flying-8 tops auction with record $281,742

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

Another record was set at auction when a 1935 Vincent-HRD 498cc Series-A Comet fetched £97,750.

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

“What an amazing weekend” enthused James Stensel, head of Bonhams’ collectible motorcycle effort. “We are delighted with the results of this sale, not only breaking our own auction record, but also setting three world auction records for individual makes and models.”

The sale was also the largest for Bonhams with over 400 bikes on file.

1926 Brough Superior also tops the $250,000 plateau

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 C-Series Black Shadow, £64,400 ($83,039)
8. Parkin-Vincent 998cc Black Shadow racer ‘project’, £62,100 ($80,074)
9. 1951 Vincent 998cc C-Series Black Shadow, £62,100 ($80,074)
10. 1968 MV Agusta 861cc ‘Magni’, £60,950 ($78,591)

(Prices include buyer’s fees.)

The auction took place during the 39th Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show.