Bonhams|Cars Spring Stafford Motorcycle Sale Achieves £3 Million with an Industry-Leading 95% Sell Through Rate

STAFFORD, UK – April 24, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) –  On 20-21 April, Bonhams|Cars’ market-leading motorcycle department returned to the International Classic MotorCycle Show with 365 lots of collectors’ motorcycles, memorabilia, spares, and dismantled motorcycle projects for The Spring Stafford Sale, achieving the highest grossing UK motorcycle auction of the year reaching £3 million total. The two-day sale, which included five major single-owner collections and nearly 60% of lots offered Without Reserve, attracted an international audience with bidders from over 38 countries, many in attendance or bidding on the Bonhams app, the phone, and by commission bid. The sale further reinforced Bonhams|Cars as the auction house of choice for the sale of important collector motorcycles as well as single-owner collections.

Overall, the sale achieved a total of £3 million with an industry-leading 95% sold by lot.

On 20 April, the sale kicked off with important motorcycle spares and memorabilia, achieving a white glove result – 100% of lots finding new homes. One of the many highlights of the spares and memorabilia section was a 1986 Suzuki RG500 Project – a dismantled example of the iconic two-stroke ‘screamer’ – cruising past its estimate to achieve £11,520. The motorcycle sale for the first day achieved a 98% sell-through rate with over £600,000 raised and several single-owner collections achieving white-glove results. This includes the late Ron Pladdy’s Collection of important racing motorcycles which featured a c.1963 Honda 50cc CR110 Racing Motorcycle nearly doubling its estimate at £46,000.

After an exciting first day, the Bonhams|Cars Motorcycle team took the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of the International Classic Motorcycle Show with star guests Guy Martin, renowned racer and TV personality, and Philip McCallen, a racing legend from Northern Ireland that holds 11 Isle of Man TT victories.

The second day of motorcycle sales saw even more success with more than £2.19 million achieved and 98% sold by value. Highlighting the day was a 1949 Vincent 998cc Black Lightning Series-C – one of only 34 made – selling for £150,000, a pre-war offering from the same manufacturer – a 1938 Vincent-HRD 998cc Rapide Series-A, selling for £228,850, as well as the 2003 Whitelock 4200cc Tinker Toy Frame, holder of the Guinness World Record for land vehicle with most cylinders, selling for £92,000. Also of note was The…