Posts by tag
auction
34 posts
Pre-war Benelli 250 DOHC: intoxicating engineering
Few machines capture the intoxicating blend of engineering ambition and racing romance quite like the Benelli 250 DOHC. Benelli’s competition pedigree stretched back to the 1920s, when the company earned…
Matchless Silver Hawk flies to $60k auction sale
More than $60,000 for a Matchless! That’s the result from the Mecum classic mogtorcycle auction in Las Vegas in January. Well, it is a very special Matchless, a 1934 Silver…
Over the ton and still going: 100+ years old Rudge and BSA
There’s something very appealing about motorcycles more than 100 years old. The century or ‘ton’ is a milestone in cricket, speed, and probably several other activities. There’s another threshold too:…
World’s biggest classic motorcycles auction: Mecum Las Vegas 2026
The world’s biggest auction of classic motorcycles is the Mecum Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction. In 2026, more than 2,000 motorcycle of all types will cross the auction block…
Smoky Treasure: Charlie Sanby’s TT Ducati 750SS
Ducati’s 750SS is already one of the most mythical motorcycles of the 1970s —mgreen-framed, bevel-driven and built in the smallest of numbers. But when one turns up with proper Isle…
Raw and Raucous: 1975 Ducati 900 Super Sport
Somewhere around the mid-1970s, Ducati fever overtook me and half of the motorcycle world. Paul Smart’s win at the ’72 Imola 200 had lit the fuse, and the factory’s road-going…
Scott Flying Squirrel: Two-Stroke Royalty
In the history of great British motorcycles, the Scott Flying Squirrel sits slightly apart — not aloof, just… different. While other marques of the 1920s boomed, barked and thumped their…
1970 Honda CB750: The Original Superbike Heads to Auction
There are few motorcycles that changed the course of motorcycling history quite like the Honda CB750. When it arrived in 1969, it wasn’t just another new model, it was a…
The Curious Case of the 1970 Indian Velocette Venom 500
In the twilight years of the British motorcycle industry, when storied marques were either folding or floundering, an American entrepreneur named Floyd Clymer attempted to write one last heroic chapter.…
1988 Yamaha XT500: Still Crated After All These Years
If you had to pick one motorcycle that set the template for the modern adventure bike, the Yamaha XT500 would be a strong contender. Built from 1975 until 1989, the…
Climbing Legends: 1928 Harley-Davidson FHAD Hillclimber
In the smoky, oil-rich atmosphere of 1920s American racing, the hillclimb was the gladiator arena of the motorcycle world. Stripped of niceties and bred for brute power and control, these…
Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale
Bonhams Auction at The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show. Pictured above: one of the motorcycles on sale at the auction, a 1970 Indian-Velocette 499cc Thruxton.
Fancy a bit of Hollywood history? Bud Ekins’ Matchless G80S
If ever a motorbike could wear sunglasses and a leather jacket, this would be it. This 1952 Matchless G80S isn’t just a handsome slab of post-war British iron — it…
Iconic & Classic Sales at Silverstone Festival 2025
Iconic Auctioneers are delighted to be back for our 15th year as the official auction partner to the Silverstone Festival. The Iconic Collectors’ and Competition Car Sales at Silverstone Festival…
Iconic June Timed Online Auctions
The Iconic Auctioneers timed online auctions will finish on the second and last Thursday of every month from 7pm. Iconic doesn’t charge seller’s commission or entry fees for its timed…
1928 BSA Sloper: A Jolly Green Giant is calling
There’s a certain quality and star status afforded classic motorcycles with girder forks. Partly it’s because many date from a ‘Golden Age’ of motorcycles when there were dozens of manufacturers…
Slice of Americana: 1918 Harley-Davidson Model F
Meet the 1918 Harley-Davidson Model F, a motorcycle that predates television, the BBC, and sliced bread — but still manages to look like it could roar into town and cause…
A Proper Motorcycle: The 1937 Vincent-HRD Rapide Series-A
Motorcycles are wonderful things. They allow you to enjoy the open road, go quite fast, and in some cases, terrify yourself. And if there’s one bike that does all three…
Six Of The Best: RC30 heads Charterhouse March auction
Here’s another of our Six Of The Best series, this time from the Charterhouse auction taking place at the Haynes Motor Museum on 13 March. Top of our list of…
1969 Vespa SS90: Speedy Gonzales Of Scooters
Right, let’s talk about something rather special. Not a Ferrari. Not a Spitfire. Not even a particularly well-engineered teapot. No, today, we’re delving into something with two wheels, an 88.5cc…
Six Of The Best: Classic Motorcycles at Bonhams’ Spring Stafford Sale 2025
Bonhams has announced an extraordinary lineup for its highly anticipated Spring Stafford Sale, set to take place on 26-27 April 2025, at the Staffordshire County Showground. Coinciding with the International…
Two-Wheel Time Capsule: Brand New 2005 Honda Fireblade
Let me introduce you to something that’s not just a motorcycle but an engineering masterpiece that could make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Yes,…
UK’s biggest collection of Yamaha racing bikes up for auction
Ah, Yamaha! The mere mention of the name conjures images of thrilling track days, ear-splitting two-stroke exhaust notes, and a history of racing dominance. And now one of the UK’s…
Suzuki GSX-R750: brilliant racer on the road (despite the nickname)
Whoever came up with the nickname ‘Gixxer’ for Suzuki’s stunning 1980s GSX-R750 was a moron. Dreadful name, bastardised slang, worthy only of the Daily Star on an off day. Ok,…
World record for Olympia Vincent at Bonhams £3.2m autumn auction
A new world record price was set at Bonhams’ Autumn Stafford Sale in October for a very famous motorcycle: the 1936 Olympia Motorcycle Show Vincent-HRD 998cc Series-A Rapide. The price?…
Six Of The Best: Bonhams Autumn Stafford sale
Here’s another of my personal Six Of The Best – this time from Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on 12-13 October 2024. Top of the…
Six Of The Best: Charterhouse Auction October 2024
Here’s a new idea (from me): Six of The Best from an upcoming motorcycle auction. This time it’s the Charterhouse Classic & Vintage Motorcycle Auction on 3 October 2024 at…
‘Special’ Brough Superior SS100 sells for £241,500
A very special 1938 Brough Superior SS100 sold for an incredible £241,500 at the Iconic Auction staged at the NEC Classic Motor Show, Birmingham on Sunday, 12 November 2023. The…
Mixed fortunes at Charterhouse October auction
What to make of the results from the Charterhouse auction of classic & vintage motorcycles on 26 October 2023? There were some good prices made, a number of bargains, but…
Triumph TR5: the original ‘Trophy’
Over the years, Triumph has bandied around the name ‘Trophy’ willy-nilly. Sometimes it’s attached to a trail bike but more often to a tourer – as recently as 2017 –…
Mecum Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction, Las Vegas
World’s biggest auction of classic motorcycles. See also: Rare Mondials to appear at world’s biggest motorcycle auction
Rare Mondials to appear at world’s biggest motorcycle auction
FB Mondial is one of those motorcycle manufacturers bathed in myth and legend, dominating grand prix racing during the early and mid 1950s. Created by a band of brothers named…
California Dreaming! Stunning BSA X-75 Hurricane up for sale
The early 1970s were a torrid time for the British motorcycle industry. Famous brand names had disappeared or were closing. Others were struggling with out of date motorcycles thanks to…