Auction action
There were top prices and sparkling performances in the Bonhams’ Stafford auction.
The 1973 MV Agusta 750GT, belonging to the late German film critic Hans Schifferle, was the star and top lot of the Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale, more than doubling its pre-sale estimate to achieve £126,500, a new auction world record for the model.
The rare Italian grand tourer led a 40-strong collection of motorcycles amassed by the late enthusiast, which all sold on October 10, in day two of the auction, which achieved a total of £2.1 million, with a 92 sell-through rate.
Five Hans Schifferle collection machines made the sale’s top 10, including a 1941 Indian 1279cc Four and a 1955 Vincent
998cc Black Knight which both exceeded their top estimates, selling for £57,500 and £37,950 respectively.
Another strong top 10 result was that of a glorious American-made 1911 Pierce 592cc single which achieved £74,750, with the American pioneer racing past its top pre-sale estimate. Meanwhile, a 1931 Vincent-HRD, also topped its estimate, selling for £73,600. The Vincent-HRD was featured in our
April 2003 issue, while the new owner has promised to allow us to reacquaint with the machine in 2022.
Collections featured heavily, as ever, in the sale catalogue, with the Ken Senior Collection of 75 motorcycles and the John Renwick Collection of sidecar racing motorcycles both achieving positive results. The Senior machines (of which many were sold in the summer sale) were a diverse array, ranging from unrestored Bantams to all manner of projects, through to 1980s Japanese ware – all found new homes. The Renwick outfits were all built to their late creator’s tastes and interests, while the same man’s Velocette Valiant fetched £4000-plus, strong money for the 192cc flat-twin.
The Phil Morris Collection of racing motorcycles saw 22 machines finding new homes, led by the ex-Steve Hislop, Niall Mackenzie, James Whitham, Cadbury’s Boost c 1995 Yamaha YZF750 Superbike Racing Motorcycle which sold for £35,640, double its pre-sale estimate. A lovely little MV – with full dustbin fairing – was the first to sell, making £17,250.
A further notable result was the £34,500 achieved by a time-warp 1989 Suzuki RG500 Gamma, effectively a brand-new motorcycle, which had covered only two ‘push’ miles from new. A Norton Commando Interstate, featuring a similar mileage, topped £20,000.
Among the no-motorcycles lots, Velocette team rider – and later guru – Harold Willis’s 1928 Junior TT runners-up trophy made £2677, while from a trio of Vincent Amanda water scooters (sort of a pre-Jetski) the pick of the bunch realised £2295. Among the many projects, £5980 for a totally dismantled 1939 Triumph 5H 500cc single was a strong price, with other projects attracting modest fees.
James Stensel, Head of Bonhams Motorcycles UK, said: “We’re delighted at achieving yet another world record at Stafford. It felt like a return to normal in the saleroom, with very high attendance in person, and the strong results overall show the resilience of the collectors’ motorcycle market. As well as our bidders in the saleroom, there was much online engagement, with enthusiasts from all over the world bidding and buying.”
Note: All prices include buyers premium, but exclusive of taxes, with in the UK VAT payable on the premium.
Debut delight
With regular auctioneer Malcom Barber stuck in Hong Kong and unable to attend, it was left to Bonhams’ other sale conductors to pick up the gavel. Toby Wilson has featured at Stafford several times over the years, while Bee Harford was new to the sale, and to Bonhams, as she has only been in the employment of the company for around four months.
Bonhams’ regional manager for the north east and Yorkshire, Bee is more accustomed to furniture, art and fashion sales, with this her first motorcycle auction – in fact, her first ever visit to a motorcycle sale. Before the Saturday midday start, Bee’s only minor apprehensions were with pronunciation, especially as lot number one was a ‘Narcisse-Sachs Type 100’ which basically hardly anyone knew how to say properly! But Bee was soon in the groove, her all-action enthusiasm energising the saleroom, which wasn’t as busy as it used to be ‘in the old days,’ with many buyers now, it seems, accustomed to either online or telephone bidding. But those who were in the saleroom, soon found themselves being heartily encouraged to have ‘just one more’ bid.
Reflecting afterwards, Bee said: “I could not have been made to feel more welcome at Stafford for my first time auctioneering the Classic Motorcycle Auction. Being the first female auctioneer to take the sale in over 30 years, I wondered what the reception would be, but everyone could not have been more encouraging, friendly and supportive. It was a fantastic weekend all round, and I was thrilled to have achieved a world record auction price for the 1973 MV Agusta, totalling a phenomenal £126,500. I already cannot wait to come back and do it all over again in 2022!”