The Bonhams 1938 Brough Superior 982cc SS100

Thought I'd pass along a recent e-mail I received to those of you who might be curious about the state of the high end vintage motorcycle market (and those of you who don't follow the Vintegent :-) ).  I was fortunate enough to get on the Bonhams Auction House mailing list  recently and just received this message (below) that touches on that very subject. In a nutshell business appears to be booming.  It looks like investors are putting their money into more "tangible" works of art these days and the high end automotive world is getting it's share. 

They were also kind enough to send me a beautiful and extremely high resolution jpeg of a 1938 Brough Superior SS100.   Enjoy!  And Thank you to Katherine Boyle for the information and photo:

Bonhams Motorcycle Department produced truly spectacular results for 2010 with a total of £5.6 ($8.7) million and selling in excess of 1200 machines to achieve this result, all with an unprecedented and industry leading percentage sold of 87% by lot and value.

As an illustration of how solid the market is for vintage motorcycles in these financially uncertain times, there were six new entries in to the Department top 20 results, the most since the division was founded with the exception of 2008, when two World records were set in consecutive months.

Brough Superior made up half of these new additions with a record for a 680 OHV being produced at our Oxford sale room in June, selling for £98,300, closely followed by another example at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in October, which went for £93,900. The best result of the year came, unsurprisingly, from the post-vintage 1938 Brough Superior SS100 which was offered at the April Stafford sale, and eventually sold for £157,700. The combined total for Broughs sold in 2010 was £393,200.

Another very special marque always keenly sought by the enthusiast and collector is the Vincent-HRD. And all 19 examples offered in 2010 sold for a total of £498,200.

In stark contrast to these ‘Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles’ and ‘superbikes of the 50s’, other superb results for year included the two Fath-URS engined machines. The ex-Helmut Fath, Horst Owesle, 1968 and 1971 World Championship-winning 1966 URS 498cc Racing Sidecar Outfit produced the second best result of the year when it sold for £102,700, and the ex-John Blanchard, Tony Jefferies, works 1967 Seeley-URS 500cc Racing Motorcycle raised £76,300.

The final high flyer of the year was one of the most historically significant motorcycles that has ever been offered by Bonhams, the first series production machine to be referred to as a ‘motorcycle’ (motorrad in German), the c.1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller, which, after a furious bidding battle, eventually went for £86,200, well in excess of £40,000-60,000 estimate. Not content with offering just one of these historically important motorcycles, the Department will be offering a second H&W, within the space of 12 months, at its inaugural Las Vegas sale on January 6th 2011.

This is the first in another superb line up of auctions for next year, with a huge variety of exciting and important machines already consigned for these future dates, ensuring 2011 will build on this year’s successes.

(Please find attached a) high resolution jpeg of a georgous Brough Superior.

thank you to the folks at Bhonams.

The Bonhams 1938 Brough Superior 982cc SS100

Thought I'd pass along a recent e-mail I received to those of you who might be curious about the state of the high end vintage motorcycle market (and those of you who don't follow the Vintegent :-) ).  I was fortunate enough to get on the Bonhams Auction House mailing list  recently and just received this message (below) that touches on that very subject. In a nutshell business appears to be booming.  It looks like investors are putting their money into more "tangible" works of art these days and the high end automotive world is getting it's share. 

They were also kind enough to send me a beautiful and extremely high resolution jpeg of a 1938 Brough Superior SS100.   Enjoy!  And Thank you to Katherine Boyle for the information and photo:

Bonhams Motorcycle Department produced truly spectacular results for 2010 with a total of £5.6 ($8.7) million and selling in excess of 1200 machines to achieve this result, all with an unprecedented and industry leading percentage sold of 87% by lot and value.

As an illustration of how solid the market is for vintage motorcycles in these financially uncertain times, there were six new entries in to the Department top 20 results, the most since the division was founded with the exception of 2008, when two World records were set in consecutive months.

Brough Superior made up half of these new additions with a record for a 680 OHV being produced at our Oxford sale room in June, selling for £98,300, closely followed by another example at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in October, which went for £93,900. The best result of the year came, unsurprisingly, from the post-vintage 1938 Brough Superior SS100 which was offered at the April Stafford sale, and eventually sold for £157,700. The combined total for Broughs sold in 2010 was £393,200.

Another very special marque always keenly sought by the enthusiast and collector is the Vincent-HRD. And all 19 examples offered in 2010 sold for a total of £498,200.

In stark contrast to these ‘Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles’ and ‘superbikes of the 50s’, other superb results for year included the two Fath-URS engined machines. The ex-Helmut Fath, Horst Owesle, 1968 and 1971 World Championship-winning 1966 URS 498cc Racing Sidecar Outfit produced the second best result of the year when it sold for £102,700, and the ex-John Blanchard, Tony Jefferies, works 1967 Seeley-URS 500cc Racing Motorcycle raised £76,300.

The final high flyer of the year was one of the most historically significant motorcycles that has ever been offered by Bonhams, the first series production machine to be referred to as a ‘motorcycle’ (motorrad in German), the c.1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller, which, after a furious bidding battle, eventually went for £86,200, well in excess of £40,000-60,000 estimate. Not content with offering just one of these historically important motorcycles, the Department will be offering a second H&W, within the space of 12 months, at its inaugural Las Vegas sale on January 6th 2011.

This is the first in another superb line up of auctions for next year, with a huge variety of exciting and important machines already consigned for these future dates, ensuring 2011 will build on this year’s successes.

(Please find attached a) high resolution jpeg of a georgous Brough Superior.

thank you to the folks at Bhonams.

What was the bike that "Lawerence of Arabia" owned?

A Brough Superior of course.

Thanks to an alert reader!

Hi there! Thanks for a brilliant site.

I was walking around the Imperial War Museum in London yesterday and came across Lawrence of Arabia's SS100 Brough Superior. I'm not sure that it's suitable for the site, but I thought you'd like it. Lawrence owned eight of these beauties and they were all called George!

Thanks again
Jezza

What was the bike that "Lawerence of Arabia" owned?

A Brough Superior of course.

Thanks to an alert reader!

Hi there! Thanks for a brilliant site.

I was walking around the Imperial War Museum in London yesterday and came across Lawrence of Arabia's SS100 Brough Superior. I'm not sure that it's suitable for the site, but I thought you'd like it. Lawrence owned eight of these beauties and they were all called George!

Thanks again
Jezza

Riding into History Show and I had the wrong Camera... Brough Superior. Arial Square Four. Vincent. Triumph

Next few days will be some of the better posts from the local Riding Into History Motorcycle Concourse in St Augustine Florida. Sadly, I packed the wrong lower resolution camera so my pics are not as sharp as I'd usually hope for. A little post processing seems to have given them some usefulness though. Here's some of the first pics I snapped. I was an perfect day and an outstanding event. 

FYI: If you want to see the whole album go to the "Links to full albums" page at the top of this blog and there are links to this album as well as most of the rest of my pics.  Enjoy!

Riding into History Show and I had the wrong Camera... Brough Superior. Arial Square Four. Vincent. Triumph

Next few days will be some of the better posts from the local Riding Into History Motorcycle Concourse in St Augustine Florida. Sadly, I packed the wrong lower resolution camera so my pics are not as sharp as I'd usually hope for. A little post processing seems to have given them some usefulness though. Here's some of the first pics I snapped. I was an perfect day and an outstanding event. 

FYI: If you want to see the whole album go to the "Links to full albums" page at the top of this blog and there are links to this album as well as most of the rest of my pics.  Enjoy!

Just a few more of that Brough.

I was sent these from the owner himself Mr Ronald Michael Hull and one of the larger ones is now by desktop background. OK I admit it. I'm smitten.. But Damm what a fine machine.

For more fantastic photographs that you'll have time to view in one sitting please check out his flicker page HERE!

Just a few more of that Brough.

I was sent these from the owner himself Mr Ronald Michael Hull and one of the larger ones is now by desktop background. OK I admit it. I'm smitten.. But Damm what a fine machine.

For more fantastic photographs that you'll have time to view in one sitting please check out his flicker page HERE!

Update: Sweet Jebus what a nice Brough

A nice pair of 1921's a Rolls Royce and a Brough. That's just excellent!




A nice period roadtest article. Click on photos to enlarge.

There's a certain "Steampunk" quality to the gauges. I love it!

Dave Innola sends in another beauty. Gorgeous example there! The E-mail I was copied on had the following message attached:
Third owner and never left the family , she aint no pamperd garage queen.

No Doubt!!!

Update: Sweet Jebus what a nice Brough

A nice pair of 1921's a Rolls Royce and a Brough. That's just excellent!




A nice period roadtest article. Click on photos to enlarge.

There's a certain "Steampunk" quality to the gauges. I love it!

Dave Innola sends in another beauty. Gorgeous example there! The E-mail I was copied on had the following message attached:
Third owner and never left the family , she aint no pamperd garage queen.

No Doubt!!!