BEN WALKER
Bonhams auctioneers
‘A celebrity connection can boost the value of a bike’
What’s in a name? Quite a lot when it comes to selling classic bikes and memorabilia at auction, it seems. A celebrity connection can boost the value of a bike – but by how much depends very much on who that celebrity is. There are different levels of celebrity, too, with global names naturally adding the most value. But there are exceptions to that general rule. Take the recent sale of Bud Ekins’ 1962 ISDT Gold Medal-winning Triumph TR6SS Trophy. Ekins isn’t an A-list star himself, but his close connection to Hollywood legend Steve Mcqueen raised interest in the bike to fever pitch and helped it to its £97,750 sale price – a world record for a ’60s Trophy. Granted, the bike was a genuine works bike, with impeccable provenance – Ekins rode it to the unlimited capacity class win, as well as a Gold Medal in the 1962 ISDT at the same time as he was filming The Great Escape in Germany with his friend Steve Mcqueen. But if it had been ridden by just about anyone else, I’d have expected it to make around £25k-30k. That’s the power of celebrity – even by association. To appreciate the full power of celebrity on a bike’s value, just look at the 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross Mcqueen rode in the
closing sequence of On Any Sunday. In ‘as ridden’ condition, the bike sold for £181,482. A typical 1970 400 Cross in similar condition offered by a clubman racer might sell for £2000-3000. Mcqueen is still the man. Then there are the sporting heroes like Barry Sheene, Ivan Maugher and Mike Hailwood. They might lack the truly global appeal of stars like Mcqueen, but they still pack a punch in the auction room. Provable provenance linked to a star rider does add value. But with sporting heroes, it’s a different market. There are sub-genres – road racing, motocross, speedway. They all have their fans, but the numbers are smaller. Ivan Maugher’s 1969 Jawa made probably six times as much as a comparable machine without a famous and popular rider. That’s impressive, but if one of Sheene’s world championship-winning Suzukis came up for sale, I’d expect it to attract worldwide interest. More than £15k for one of his crash helmets proves that. Actors and rock stars are different again. A lot of their fans aren’t into bikes, often reducing the added value of a celeb-owned bike. With celebrity, bigger is usually better. Ben Walker is the international director of Bonhams collectors’ motorcycle department