Is now the time for Collection Classic Motorcycles ?

The Las Vegas Bonhams auction shows that the classic bike market is healthier than ever, at a time when classic car prices have rightly flattened off.

The Bonhams motorcycle auction in Las Vegas yesterday brought together an excellent collection of vintage and collectible motorcycles. This sale was a typical collection for Bonhams in that most of the bikes on offer were serious collector’s items. The sale went on for a few hours with, basically, business as usual – and then the original condition, Australian speed record-setting, 1951 Vincent Black Lightning motorcycle hit the block.

Bidding started at around $400,000 (R4,4 million SA Rand) and just kept going. The sale for this bike finally hammered sold at an unbelievable $929,000(R10,3 million SA Rand), which makes it the most valuable motorcycle ever sold at auction.

The bike was built as a special order and imported new into Australia by Tony McAlpine. The Vincent Black Lightning, number 7305, is one of just approximately 30 Black Lightning models built by the Stevenage, England factory.

At the time when it was built, another well-known Vincent, nicknamed 'Gunga Din', was undergoing work in the factory as well and was prepped to smash speed records. After both were completed, the two machines were raced at an airfield where it is said that McAlpine's bike was a clear 30 yards ahead of Gunga Din, and factory records indicated that it achieved speeds in excess of 130mph in third gear.

The story gets better though, in that in 1953 the McAlpine-ordered motorcycle smashed the existing Australian speed record when Jack Ehret rode it to an average speed of 141.5mph.

'Rollie Free and Marty Dickerson [legendary Vincent riders], knew of this motorcycle and Ehret's acclaim,' according to Ben Walker, Bonhams head of motorcycling. 'After the "Bathing Suit Bike" ridden by Free, the Ehret bike is likely the most important Black Lightning in existence and is one of the world's most desirable machines.'

This piece of history is the most important motorcycle seen offered at a US motorcycle sale and speaks to a market that is ready and willing to step up and pay whatever it costs to acquire important and significant motorcycles.

The rest of the sale also saw some very strong numbers, especially with the other Vincent’s and Bough Superiors on offer. These included the all-original two-owner 1950 Vincent Comet selling for $33,925(R375000 SA Rands), the 1953 Vincent Black Shadow Series C selling for $88,550R975000 SA Rands), the 1955 Vincent Black Prince selling at $104,650(R1,1 million SA Rand), and the 1939 Brough Superior SS80 (above) that sold for $120,500(R1,4 million SA Rand).

Some of the Italian motorcycles did not fare as well as the British counterparts. A pair of MV Agustas, a 1975 750 America (above) and a 1977 850SS were no sales, as were the 1985 Ducati-NCR 850 Pro twin, which had a pre-auction estimate of $80,000 to $100,000R880000-R1, million SA Rand), and the 1987 Ducati 750F1 Laguna Seca, which had only a $23,000 to $26,000(R250000-R325000 SA Rand) pre-auction estimate.

On the Japanese bike front, a huge winner was the 1990 Honda VRR750R RC 30 that sold for what could be a record $92,000(R1,1 million SA Rand), or basically R130k more than the Vincent Black Shadow. The best buy for Japanese bikes was, for me, the competitor in period to the RC 30, the 1991 Yamaha FZR 750RT OW01 (below) that was bought extremely well for $34,500(R375000 SA Rand).

Despite all of this serious heavy metal selling at strong prices, Bonhams also brought a number of entry-level collector bikes to their sale. The standouts of these were the 1975 BMW R75/6 that was a strong buy at only R40000-00 the 1970 Norton Commando 750S café racer for a bargain R60000-00 the stunning Jacaranda Purple over Silver Sheen 1970 Triumph T100C (below) that sold for R100K.

This year looks like it could be a banner year for classic motorcycles, and being a collector of these bikes myself I think that it is about time.

The Most Expensive British Car to go on Auction

Famed DB4GT Zagato ‘2 VEV’ to go under the hammer at Goodwood.

The most celebrated Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato – ‘2 VEV’ – will hit the open market for the first time in almost half a century when it crosses the block at Bonhams’ Goodwood Festival of Speed auction on 13 July. Bonhams expects the car to make well in excess of £10m.

The Essex Racing Stable 1961 Zagato ‘2 VEV’ is easily the best known of the 19 cars produced, and ranks somewhere near the top of Carrozzeria Zagato’s most important creations. Raced in period by Jim Clark, ‘2 VEV’ is one of just two quasi-works cars and one of only three configured in the ultra-light – and ultra-desirable – DP209 specification. Incredibly, the FoS sale represents the first time that the car has been offered for 47 years, having spent all of that time in the care of the same family. 

Owner John Ogier campaigned the Zagato throughout 1961 and 1962 under his Essex Racing Stable banner, during which the car was driven extensively by the great Jim Clark. The future two-times Formula One World Champion famously took the wheel during the 1961 and ’62 RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, finishing fourth behind sister car ‘1 VEV’ – driven by Roy Salvadori –  in the first race before colliding with the Ferrari 250GTO of race leader John Surtees during the second. 

Clark also drove the Aston at Montlhéry, and finished sixth in the Paris 1000km alongside Innes Ireland. The car also took to the grid of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1961, though, along with its Essex Racing sister car, it failed to last the distance. 

A fruitful career in historic racing followed once the Zagato retired from top-flight competition, being raced with great success throughout the ’80s and ’90s by Roger St John Hart, and later by Nick Cussons of the Aston Martin Owners’ Club. 

The car benefited from a full Aston Martin factory restoration in the mid-1990s and is described as being ready for track action. Bonhams’ James Knight said: “Bonhams is absolutely delighted to be bringing this landmark vehicle to auction, which continues our history of offering the world’s most important and celebrated sports and collectors’ motor cars to market. It is, by some distance, the most valuable British motor car ever to be offered at a European auction, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for this historically significant vehicle.”

Adam Carolla is Selling His Incredible BMW 3.0 CSL Racer

Adam Carolla is one of the lesser known celebrity car collectors. He isn’t as big of a name as, say, Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld but Carolla has one of the more impressive and exciting collections of cars of all celebrity car enthusiasts. Back in 2016 he sold off a handful of excellent Lamborghinis that would make any enthusiast drool. Now, he's selling another car: A stunning BMW 3.0 CSL one of the most iconic BMWs of all time.

It started out life as a road-going 3.0 CSL but was converted to race-spec by  Heinz-Jorgen Dahmen back in the ’70s. It was an active racing car from 1974 to 2004 and accumulated several victories and podium finishes. At some point during that time, it was bought by then-actor Cullen “Cuffy” Crabbe, who continued to race it.Crabbe eventually converted it to Group 2 racing spec and upgraded the engine

In 2011, Adam Carolla bought it from Crabbe, to add to his impressive vintage car collection. However, Carolla has never raced it. Although, he has had it professionally maintained and it’s said to start up and run well. The 3.0 litre I6 engine sounded devilish in its time.

The BMW 3.0 CSL is not only one of the most iconic BMWs of all time but one of the most iconic racing cars from any manufacturer of all time. There isn’t a price listed for the CSL, though don’t expect it to be cheap. It’s going to fetch a pretty penny, thanks to its prestige of its own and the fact that it’s changed celebrity hands a few times. We’re interested in seeing how this car’s sale turns out.

Lamborghini Meseum

Lamborghini didn’t actually have a museum until 2001, when the takeover by Audi freed up cash to put its rare treasures out on display.

Sitting next to the factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, its two stories are packed with cars dating right back to the 1963 foundation of Lamborghini

7 LAMBORGHINI FACTS

1. Ferruccio Lamborghini used to drive a Ferrari. When the clutch broke, he noticed it was the same as a tractor’s. He went to Ferrari to ask for a replacement but received bad customer service there. So he started building his own cars.
2. Lamborghini as a company is now part of the Volkswagen Group.
3. It takes about 130 people to handcraft the Lamborghini Murcielago.
4. That same Murcielago goes from 0 to 100 kmph in 3.4 seconds and has top speed of 340 kmph.
5. The first Lamborghinis were… tractors. Lamborghini Trattori still exists but is a different company now.
6. Once, Lamborghini donated two AWD screamers to the Italian police so they could use the speedy cars to quickly deliver organs to patients in need.
7. Ferruccio Lamborghini, the man behind the brand, has Taurus as star sign. Hence the brand’s logo.

1964 350 GT

The very first Lamborghini ever, this lovely-looking machine was a rival to the Ferrari 250 GT. 120 were made between 1964 and 1966, whose 276bhp 3.5-litre V12 gave them 155mph potential.

1966 Miura P40

A prototype of the most famous Lamborghini in the world – and the earliest still in existence. It was first seen at the 1966 Turin motor show and arguably set the template for the modern super car look.

1972 P250 Urraco

In the early 1970s, oil prices were rocketing, and hurting supercar firms such as Lamborghini. Bertone thus designed the Urraco 2+2, billed as a more fuel-efficient model based around a 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre V8 engine, but also offered with a downsized 2.0-litre V8 where taxes were particularly punitive.

1974 Countach LP400

Like the Miura, famed Italian designer Bertone created the Countach, the original sharp-edged and ‘extreme’ Lamborghini. This is the very first production car, whose 4.0-litre V12 produced 370bhp – enough, it was claimed, for a top speed of 196mph.

1986 LM002

Did you know Lamborghini made a 4x4 in the 1980s? Not just any 4x4 either, but a ‘Lamborghini Military’ grade machine with 5.2-litre V12 engine from the Countach, capable of up to 434bhp. A monster in every sense of the word, of which the firm built 300.

1988 P140

Lamborghini was experimenting with more affordable cars way back in the late 80s. The P140 had its first V10, and a removable roof panel, yet didn’t make it to production, despite later reappearing in 1995 with the Cala name. We’d have to wait a while longer for the Gallardo to eventually arrive.

1991 Lamborghini Lambo F1

Lamborghini had a sole season in Formula 1 back in 1991, with a car and engine designed entirely in-house. In its very first race, it finished in a creditable seventh place, but the 700bhp V12 racer then failed to even qualify for most of the races thereafter.  

  2001 Diablo 6.0 SE

Lamborghini built the Diablo for 11 years and to celebrate the end of production, it made 42 examples of this ‘Special Edition’. Finished in gold and brown, the car’s 6.0-litre V12 was given its most potent tune yet, for a top speed of 205mph.

2006 Miura concept.

Lamborghini celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Mura in 2006, with this lovely 21st century reimagination. Serious collectors were lining up with the cheque books but, despite this, no more examples were ever built, sadly.

2007 Reventon

 How’s this for a rare production Lamborghini – just 20 Reventon were made. Based on the Aventador, its 6.5-litre V12 was squeezed up to 641bhp, giving the F22 Raptor fighter jet-inspired car a top speed in excess of 211mph.

Missing "First Ever" Land Rover to be restored.

One of the earliest Land-Rovers is to be restored as part of the marque's 70th birthday celebrations, having been missing for the past 30 years.

The demonstration model was first shown at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show, but was last on the road in the 1960s. It then spent 20 years in a Welsh field, before disappearing off the radar entirely in 1988.

Finally, in 2016, it was spotted in a garden in Birmingham – not far from where it was originally built in Solihull.

Jaguar Land Rover is now embarking on a full restoration programme, with the team behind the successful Land Rover Series I Reborn scheme handling the project.

Not that it will be without its challenges; the vehicle has several features unique to the 48 pre-production models made before the firm began mass-producing the range, including thicker aluminium alloy body panels, a galvanised chassis and a removable rear tub. Even the original Light Green paint the original model sported will need to be recreated.

The project is the first of a series planned for Land Rover's 70th anniversary this year.

Tim Hannig, director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said, "This Land-Rover is an irreplaceable piece of world automotive history and is as historically important as ‘Huey’, the first pre-production Land-Rover.

"Beginning its sympathetic restoration here at Classic Works, where we can ensure it’s put back together precisely as it’s meant to be, is a fitting way to start Land Rover’s 70th anniversary year.

"There is something charming about the fact that exactly 70 years ago this vehicle would have been undergoing its final adjustments before being prepared for the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show launch – where the world first saw the shape that’s now immediately recognised as a Land Rover."

Porsche Restores its Oldest 911

Porsche is ready to show off the oldest 911 predecessor in its possession after three years of meticulous restoration: a 1964 901.

When Porsche engineered the 356's successor, the company began production of the 901. However, just weeks into production, Porsche had to rename its banner vehicle due to a trademark dispute. Thus, the 901 became the 911. Porsche had already built the first batch of 901s, so the cars were manufactured as a 901, but sold as a 911. This restored vehicle is actually one of the first 901s ever produced before the official switch to the 911 name.

Porsche purchased the rare car in 2014 after a German television show focused on finding old treasures stumbled upon the car during an episode. Upon its discovery, the team immediately contacted the Porsche Museum, which verified it was an incredibly rare car.

The lengths to which Porsche went to restore this missing piece of its history is simply mind-blowing. To see a company place such a value on its past is what keeps the flocks of Porsche faithful growing, and the desire to preserve a car that it hadn’t yet found (imagine that, Porsche couldn’t find one!) shows the steep efforts to which the company will go for one of its own. Porsche built just 235 911s in 1964, the first 82 of which were designated as 901s.

The company negotiated with the owner of this early 911 and another project in his collection. Porsche paid $125,000 for this car, which had been in the second owner’s possession for many years after it became too small to transport his growing family. The front wings were missing, the engine was seized and the interior was practically fragments of dust and cloth. But the chassis plate that identified this car as one of the elusive 901s was pristine.

The company used genuine body parts from other 911 models and the engine, transmission, electrics, and interior were all repaired in the same manner. Restorers took great care to retain parts and fragments when able to keep the car as original as possible. 

The 1964 901 turned 911 will be on display at the Porsche Museum through April 8, 2018 at the special exhibition “911 (901 No. 57) – A legend takes off.”

Steve McQueen's Race Suit and Helmet For Sale

A true piece of racing history is now for sale at RM Sotheby’s auction. Steve McQueen wore this race suit and this helmet in the legendary “Le Mans-Race

The 1971 film "Le Mans" had it all. Racing cars, engine noises, action, Steve McQueen, and a bit of a plot weaved together from a love story and footage from the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans. The film didn't do well in theatres, but it's a petrol head favourite these days, and thanks to the film there are numerous movie buffs who also like classic Porsches and Tag Heuer watches, both famously used by Steve McQueen onscreen.

But now the ultimate Le Mans memorabilia is coming up for sale: the racing suit and helmet worn by McQueen in the film. It's not the first time they have been auctioned, and the earlier sale will likely not be the last time they will command top dollar, as the previous occasion saw the hammer go down at $984,000. In comparison, the current estimate is a rather humble $400,000-500,000, so it will be interesting to see if the no-reserve props will top the previous price.

The helmet and the overalls will be auctioned by RM Auctions on Dec. 6 in New York.

You will never be as cool as Steve McQueen, but for around $500,000, you could win the actual Hinchman race suit and Bell helmet he sported in Le Mans, the classic 1971 auto racing film. It's up for bid at Sotheby's on December 6 as part of the New York - Icons auction. Of course you'll still need to save your pennies for the blue #20 Gulf-Porsche 917K that last sold at auction for $14 million.

Citroen to sell off huge reserve of Heritage Vehicles.

A hoard of classic Citroëns will cross the auction block next month following relocation of the firm’s heritage wing, Citroën Conservatory.

As many as 65 vehicles from the firm’s heritage centre are expected to be sold via online auction on 10 December, with most coming from the reserve collection and varying in price from R17000-00 to R400000-00. The firm hopes to give the cars a new lease of life by making them available to fans of the marque, where otherwise they would have languished in storage.

The varied lot list covers a huge range of models, from a trio of four-wheel-drive Méharis, a 1961 Ami 6 and a 1953 Traction Avant 11 through to a bonkers Jumpy ‘Atlante des Neiges’ Sbarro prototype.

Modern classics are well represented, including a brace of 1990 BX GTIs – one of which was built in Spain – a 1990 XM and 1995 AX Elextrique Axel.

The oldest cars in the collection will be sold as restoration projects. They include four C4s from 1929-1932 and a brace of 1933 Rosalie 10s.

Meanwhile, a 1973 GS Phase 1, 1977 G Speciale Phase 2 and 1979 Visa Super are all in need of recommissioning.

If you prefer your cars a little less exotic, you’ll have your choice of no fewer than four Xsaras, five Xantias and a handful of Berlingo vans.

Among the most modern cars in the sale are two C4 Cactuses from 2014, plus a C-Elysée WTCC static show car.

The auction begins at 14:00 on 10 December at www.drouotlive.com

History For Sale : Record-Breaking Vincent Black Lightning

Bonhams to auction Jack Ehret's Australian-land-speed-record-breaking 1951 Vincent Black Lightning at its annual Las Vegas motorcycle auction, Jan. 25, 2018, in Nevada.

Jack Ehret’s 1951 Vincent Black Lightning, still in its original racing form

Bonhams
October 2017

Introduced in 1948, the Vincent Black Shadow was without question the first true Superbike of the modern era. Officially timed at 122mph, it was faster than the Jaguar XK120, then the world’s fastest production car. But even more performance was to come with the introduction that same year of the ultimate — and today most collectible — Vincent, the Black Lightning.

Weighing just 360 pounds compared to the Black Shadow’s 458 pounds, the Lightning was a production racer based on the bike that Rollie Free famously rode to an AMA land speed record of 150.313mph. Featuring high-performance racing components, the Lightning produced a claimed 70 horsepower, 15 more than the Black Shadow.

It is generally accepted that no more than 33 Black Lightning’s left the Vincent factory in Stevenage, England, during the model’s 1948 to 1952 production. Those low numbers make any Black Lightning a machine of great rarity and historical importance. Yet few match the bike featured here, the famed 1951 Black Shadow ridden by Australian “Black Jack” Ehret to an Australian land speed record of 141.5mph in 1953 and soon to go up for sale at Bonhams’ annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, Jan. 25, 2018.

Time warp: The mechanicals of the Ehret Vincent are fully reconditioned, but the bike is otherwise in exactly the condition as when last raced by Ehret.

The Ehret-Vincent retains the sidecar used by Ehret in sidecar races and all its original competition bodywork.

Originally owned by Aussie rider Tony McAlpine, who assembled the bike himself in June 1951 while working at Vincent, it was clocked at 130mph — in third gear — in July that year. McAlpine took the Lightning with him when he returned to Australia later that year, putting the bike up for sale. Car dealer Jack Forrest purchased the Vincent, then raced — and crashed it — in the Australian TT at Bathurst in the Senior Unlimited TT. In fact, Forrest crashed the Lightning in two of the three races he entered the bike. Those experiences apparently soured him on the Vincent, and he subsequently put it up for sale with Sydney Vincent dealers Burling and Simmons, where it was purchased by local racer Jack Ehret.

Like Forrest, Ehret also entered the Lightning in the Australian TT, but with better results, finishing second in the 1952 event. Ehret’s success with the Lightning proved the bike’s superior capacity, and eager to get his name in the record books he set his sights set on the hotly contested Australian Land Speed Record. On Jan. 19, 1953, on a remote stretch of road in western New South Wales, Ehret made his attack on the record, riding the Lightning to an officially timed 140.509mph.

The gas tank, controls and instruments are original. The odometer shows 8,686 kilometers (5,385 miles), all accumulated during its 40-year racing career.

Ehret continued racing the Vincent with great success, often with a sidecar attached. He was Australian Title point’s leader in 1954, and in 1955 he crossed the finish line at Australia’s Mount Druitt race in front of 500cc World Champion Geoff Duke. He finally won at Bathurst in 1956, in the Sidecar TT with George Donkin riding passenger.

By the end of the 1950s, Ehret was no longer racing the Lightning, but in 1968 he pulled it out of storage for a race at Oran Park, coming in a respectable third in the sidecar class with John “Tex” Coleman riding passenger. Ehret would race the bike two more times, again at Oran Park in the late 1970s, but now in the Historic class and winning both of his races, and finally at Eastern Creek in 1993, where he lapped the entire field in the Historic Sidecar races with his son, John, riding passenger. After 40 years racing, the Lightning was finally retired, its provenance cemented with a record of having finished on the podium in 80 percent of its races

Jack Ehret on the Lightning in 1953 showing his riding position for his successful 141.5mph Australian land speed record run.

Second chance

Ehret shifted his attention from motorcycle racing to running nightclubs, and in 1999 he sold the bike to Aussie Franc Trento, owner of Euro Brit Motorbikes in Melbourne. Ehret died in 2001, a fact that perhaps inspired Trento to preserve the Lightning in its original race condition. In 2014 Trento sold the Lightning to the current owner, who shipped it to Vincent expert Patrick Godet in his native France.

Once there, Godet and his team stripped the Lightning, rebuilding it internally as needed with new parts made from the original Black Lightning drawings. The crankcases, cylinders and heads are original, but the worn crankshaft was repaired and it has new pistons, piston liners, valves, valve springs and camshafts. Externally, Godet and his team laboured to maintain the bike’s originality, replacing only those items necessary for safe riding. The brake and clutch cables, for instance, feature the original housings, but the inner cables are all new, all done to keep the Ehret Vincent looking exactly as it did when last raced by Jack Ehret.

The Ehret-Vincent retains the sidecar used by Ehret in sidecar races and all its original competition bodywork.

Without question the most significant motorcycle to be auctioned at Bonhams’ upcoming annual Las Vegas motorcycle sale, Jan. 25, 2018, the Ehret Vincent is expected to sell for more than R9,0 million rand.

GTI- Born To Be Wild

·         Posted by CCW

The 40th birthday of the Golf GTI this year awakes at least for the old veteran Motorsport fans a lot of great memories. Shortly after its introduction to the market in 1976, the Wolfsburger beast ventured the first attempts on a race-oriented terrain. A good choice, because the Golf GTI sets a new benchmark in terms of the early fame of Volkswagen in the disciplines circuit and rally.

The Junior Cup: hot races, thrilling duels

For six years the GTI was the figurehead for the brand-own named race series. The races took place 10 times a year in the supporting program of high-quality circuit events and gave the audience high-class, exciting and dramatic duels. The uniform white lacquer turned into a colourful one in the second Cup-year. German pilots such as Walter Struckmann, who managed to win all ten GTI Cup races in a row in 1978, or Heinz Friedrich Peil and Alfons Hohenester, who both were advancing into the higher-ranking championship, have also performed record-breaking effort. Another record was taken by Berthold Bermel, who managed to participate unbelievable 13 years in different VW Brand Cups

Also successful in Rally-Racing

Also in rallying, the Golf GTI became a fixed size, which was to be beat. Just one year after the first appearances of the Golf GTI in the Rally sport the Hamburg-born Jochi Kleint won the popular Rally Cross Championship. Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover has continuously developed the GTI with the result that the Bavarian team Alfons Stock / Paul Schmuck 1981 won the Int. German Rally Championship with their green “Rheila-Golf” (nickname “Frog”). The team Erwin Weber / Manfred Hiemer managed to achieve the same in a factory golf GTI almost ten years later. In the meantime, the best success of the Golf GTI ever was in 1986 – the win of the World Rally Championship for series-close cars by the Swedish Kenneth Eriksson and his German co-driver Peter Diekmann

GTI as a fixed size at the 24 hour race

With numerous other titles and valuable single victories, the Golf GTI has now been gliding all along for 40 years and is still setting standards in the touring car class. Hardly any championship takes place without a Golf GTI participation and even in the famous long-distance classic, the 24 hours at the Nürburgring, the GTI has proven its reliability with numerous group events and nearly 50 classifications. The Wolfsburg GTI is listed the fourth place in the everlasting brand list of this race since 1970.

The latest and current model of the successful Golf GTI family is the anniversary model “Club sport”. The turbo direct injection engine delivers 265 HP – making it the most powerful GTI series ever. At the push of a button, the power can be increased up to almost 300 HP for ten seconds thanks to a boost function. Remember: The first Golf GTI from 1976 had just 110 HP – As time goes bye …

Report by collectorscarworld.com (Source: volkswagen-classic.de)