A very special 1931 Brough Superior SS100 sold for an amazing £281,750 at Bonham’s Spring Stafford auction at the International Classic Motorcycle Show on 22 April 2023.
The Brough Superior SS100, with spring frame number ‘1042 S’, was first registered on 31 January 1931 and is recorded in the factory records as a ‘Show Model’. ‘Show’ meant an enhanced finish, the mudguards being chromed with a gold-lined black centre, just like the wheels.
A letter from George Brough Ltd, signed by General Manager T E Ball, states that the machine ‘was despatched from the Works on 2 January 1932 to Messrs Rowland Smith Motors Ltd, and was a SS100 Spring Frame which had been prepared for the 1932 Show’ (it is assumed he meant the 1931 show). Interestingly, the frame number is only a single digit distant from T E Lawrence’s final Brough, ‘GW 2275’.
The copy Works Record Card shows that ‘1042’ was originally built as a motorcycle combination (‘specialist coach on Watsonian chassis’) and that it left the factory with a chromium plated/black enamel fuel tank, and with mudguards and wheels having the same ‘show’ finish.
Castle (Brampton) forks were fitted, as was a separate oil tank among various other special features. The Record Card confirms all matching numbers with the exception of the fuel tank (‘R2465’), which is from the 1932 SS100 ‘R1044’ (non-surviving).
Interestingly, this is the only known Brough to have a gearbox number prefixed ‘P 156’. Brough Superior Club records show that ‘GW 3188’ was present at the inaugural Brough Superior Club Rally, held in September 1958 at Hearsall Common, Coventry while owned by Ronald Richardson of London N8. By this time the Brough had been fitted with a later AGS petrol tube sidecar.
The accompanying old-style buff logbook issued in 1954 lists the owner at that time as Frederick Elkington of Bromley Kent, who had acquired it in 1947. The seller is a former Vickers aircraft engineer who worked for 24 years on the Concorde project. He bought ‘GW 3188’ (registered as a ‘sidecar bicycle’) from his friend Sid Mason in April 1973 for £150 (purchase receipts on file). Sid Mason had bought the machine for £75 in 1963.
The vendor said, “I was all too aware of the SS100’s notoriety, especially as I worked as an aircraft engineer for Vickers, which was located at the historic Brooklands race circuit where in 1939 an SS100 took the all-time track record of 124.51mph.
“It’s more of a show-piece for me now and used only on special occasions. However, when I do give it a blast it still remains somewhat frightening and exhilarating – both at the same time! I love it on many levels: looks, engineering, performance and heritage.”
The Brough was last used some 30 years ago but still starts second kick.
