1951 Vincent Rapide takes top price on the day and smashes estimate, selling for £31,050
Coal bunker find 1917 Sunbeam 8hp V-twin more than doubles upper estimate at £10,580
1979 Honda CBX1000 hammered away for £10,350 contributing to total sales of over £800,000
Almost 90 percent of the classic and collectible motorcycles and scooters offered for sale at H&H Classics’ first motorcycle and scooter auction of 2024, were successfully hammered away on 27 March, for a combined total of more than £800,000.
Such was the variety of the sale at the National Motorcycle Museum, lots ranged from a 1914 Juno to a 2010 Aprilia RSV4R, with all decades in-between covered.
The lot achieving the highest price on the day, a 1951 Vincent Rapide Series C, came from 12 years in an Isle of Man collection, covering a mere 600 miles in that time. The bike’s interesting history helped it achieve a fantastic final sale price of £31,050, more than twice of its pre-sale estimate.
“After pulling together such a fantastic catalogue of scooters and motorcycles, we’re very proud and delighted to achieve a fantastic sales rate of 88 percent in our first two-wheel sale of the year,” comments Mike Davis, head of department, H&H Classics. “As always, there was a great atmosphere in the packed sale room with some spirited bidding battles that helped vendors achieve some amazing results.”
Scooters kicked off proceedings on the day and among the successful sales was a 1948 Lambretta Model A, selling for £8,400, while a 1967 SX200 headed to a new owner for £12,075. Serious scooter interest didn’t stop there, as a 1968 Rimini Lambretta Ancillotti Special Racer, signed by the Ancillotti brothers, was bought for £15,525 and a 1976 Rally 200 flew the Vespa flag successfully to make £11,500.
One of the oldest motorcycles offered on the day was a 1917 Sunbeam 8hp V-twin. The stalled project had recently been found in a coal bunker and its ‘as found’ condition didn’t deter bidders, eventually being hammered away after an international bidding battle for an impressive £10,580.
From the inter-war period, a 1933 Excelsior racer, boasting works forks, frame and tank fired-up bidders enough to see the hammer fall at £13,800. A 1934 Rudge 500 Special, pulled from a barn after 60 years storage and subsequently restored, was successfully sold for £7,820. Meanwhile, recently found in a loft and presenting its new owner with a project, a c.1932 Coventry Eagle Silent Superb was bought for £575.
Slightly later successes included a restored 1940 Triumph 3HW that more than doubled its lower estimate, selling for £6,670, and an older-restoration 1952 Triumph Trophy, still presenting very well, which sparked enough interest to see the hammer fall at £6,440.
More recent offerings included a
1976 Kawasaki Z900A4 selling for £9,430 and a 1979 Honda CBX 1000, coming from 40 years ownership, which was bought for £10,350.
“I’d like to thank everyone who entrusted us with one of their motorcycles or scooters for this sale and I offer my congratulations to those successful bidders who are riding off with a new addition to their collection,” adds Davis.
H&H Classics’ next motorcycle and scooter sale will be held at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, on Wednesday 3 July.
Meanwhile the firm’s next classic, collectible and performance car auction will be held at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton on Wednesday 24 April.
