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  1. MV Agusta winning bid brings Salon Privé DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal total to over £120,000

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    MV AGUSTA WINNING BID BRINGS SALON PRIVÉ DEC UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL TOTAL TO OVER £120,000 #STANDWITHUKRAINE

    • Winning bidder collects 1974 MV Agusta 750 donated by RM Sotheby’s
    • Salon Privé London raises over £120,000 to help alleviate suffering
    • Historic motorbike sells for £48,000 at auction to help drive final donation
    • 20% of Salon Privé London event entry ticket revenue donated
    • Online and live charity auction contribute to funds for Ukraine crisis
    • Website for donations still open at www.spdec.org
     
    The highest bidder on the 1974 MV Agusta 750 donated by RM Sotheby’s has collected his historic Italian sport bike, bringing the total raised by the Salon Privé DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to £120,000, following the debut of the capital’s new must-attend automotive event.

    Salon Privé London is thanking its event partners, exhibitors and guests for their generosity in helping alleviate the suffering of those effected by the devastating ongoing war. The sale of the 1970’s MV Agusta proved the star of the show, selling for £48,000 on the Friday night at the Salon Privé Concours de Vente Celebration Dinner.

    Many parties had made their interest in the bike clear, but in the end Mr. Ian Smart was successful in placing the winning bid, with 100% of the hammer price going to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

    Ian Smart said: “I am delighted to have been successful in winning this beautiful MV Agusta motorbike, and to support Salon Privé in this important fundraising campaign to provide aid to those in need during the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis. My sincere thanks goes to RM Sotheby’s for their generosity in donating this important part of MV Agusta's history and ensuring the success of the auction.” 

    As part of the charity endeavour of its first event in the capital, Salon Privé London committed 20% of entry ticket revenue and auctioned donated items on the Friday night. With remarkable generosity shown by the event partners and exhibitors of the Royal Hospital Chelsea event, the bike played a key role in driving awareness and visibility of the fundraising activity.

    Peter Haynes, Marketing Director for RM Sotheby’s EMEA, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the Salon Privé DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal in raising as much money as possible for this urgent cause. We see it as a moral obligation to assist in the easing of the appalling humanitarian crisis in the Ukraine.”
     
    Director of Salon Privé Andrew Bagley said: “Special thanks must go to RM Sotheby’s for the incredibly generous donation of the 1974 MV Agusta motorbike, and Mr. Ian Smart for placing the winning bid, but there have been so many genuinely heartfelt pledges made. We want to thank everyone, as no donation is too small in this effort to help those in need.”
     
    With an online silent auction of 25 items running up to and during up to the event, and the sale of star lots at the Salon Privé Concours de Vente Celebration Dinner, both exhibitors and visitors had the chance to support the people of Ukraine who are going through unimaginable hardship.

    Attracting the attention of enthusiasts and aficionados in the lead up to the event, the 1974 MV Agusta GT (Sport Conversion) offered in the auction was the centrepiece of the sale. Supplied new to MV Agusta factory rider, Gianfranco Bonera, who owned it until 1978 it was originally manufactured to “GT” specification and subsequently uprated to Sport specification. With 69 horsepower available, the period superbike provides stunning looks and an exhilarating riding experience.

    Last month Salon Privé London launched its appeal and engaged with the industry to develop the charitable effort leading up to, and during, the luxury car event. The sister event to Salon Privé Blenheim, it presented a fantastic and timely opportunity to galvanise all those involved with, and attending, and raise much needed funds to help the people of Ukraine.

    Working with DEC and Work for Good, the funds raised will directly help the people forced to leave everything behind as they flee the fighting in Ukraine. With over 18 million expected to be affected by the conflict, and four million displaced, the resources will provide vital supplies of shelter, food and water.

    Bringing together 15 leading aid charities, the DEC raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas. People in life-and-death situations rely on its help as it works to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response.

    It’s still possible to contribute to the Salon Privé DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal at www.spdec.org

  2. Ben Ball is back for 2022, bigger and better than ever!

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    • The Ben Ball will take place on 7th December in its new home of Old Billingsgate Market.
    • Event raises significant funds to support those in the automotive family who are struggling or in crisis.
    • Booking is now open for tickets and sponsorship opportunities are also available.
    Ben, the automotive industry charity, has announced that its annual flagship black tie event – Ben Ball – will be held this year on Wednesday 7th December, supported by AutoTrader.

    Following the stunning success of the 2021 event, Ben Ball 2022 will move across London to its new home at Old Billingsgate Market – a spectacular venue in the heart of the City on the north bank of the Thames.

    The 2021 Ben Ball took place after Covid restrictions were lifted and quickly sold out as the automotive community seized the chance to gather together in person and celebrate in spectacular style. Over 600 automotive industry figures attended the event, joining forces to raise over £96,500 – one of the highest totals ever achieved at a Ben Ball.

    Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement & Income at Ben, said: “Together, once again, we did something extraordinary at the 2021 Ben Ball. The staggering amount of funds raised helps Ben continue to provide life-saving support to those in our automotive family who most need it, and it can’t be overstated how much those donations will help people who turn to us when they are struggling or in crisis.

    “Over the last 2 years, we’ve seen support requests double, and the cases that we are seeing are more complex and urgent than we’ve experienced before. Ben Ball is a critical fundraising event for us – not only does it bring in vital donations, but it also gives us the chance to thank those who have helped us achieve so much during the year, and to show how we use their donations to change people’s lives.

    “Plans for the Ben Ball 2022 are well underway and the event looks set to be extraordinary. We would like to invite everyone in the industry to book tickets and join us for our celebrations but also to extend an invite to anyone who may wish to sponsor the event to get in touch.

    “We can’t wait to welcome you to our new venue – Old Billingsgate Market – this December for the automotive industry event of the year!

    ”To book your tickets or find out more about becoming a Ben Ball sponsor, click here.

    When any member of our automotive family is struggling or in crisis, we all rally to support them.

  3. TEST COMPLETED FOR TEAM GRESINI MOTOGP AT JEREZ

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    Team Gresini MotoGP has completed the back-to-back trip Portimao-Jerez today as the official post-race test drew to a close at the Andalusian track, for what was another positive day for the team’s standard bearers.

    Fabio Di Giannantonio continued the set-up work started on Friday as he also focused on the ergonomics of the bike. At the end of 64 laps, the Rome-born rider showed good feeling aboard the bike and logged a personal-best time of 1’38.271.

    On the other side of the garage, there were more updates for Enea Bastianini, who managed to concentrate on the front-end of the bike in order to recover the right feeling he was not able to find in Jerez while also trying the new Ducati 2022 fairings.

    MotoGP will return to action at Le Mans in less than two weeks.

    10th - ENEA BASTIANINI #23 (1’37.802 – 45 laps)
    “We tried many things and maybe we did make a step forward, despite the track being very different today. With medium tyres we improved our pace by 2-3 tenths of a second, so overall this is good news. The wind came in the afternoon and I chose to not take any unnecessary risk. The new fairing has pro and cons surely, and we’ll take out time to evaluate it, then we’ll decide on whether to use it at Le Mans or not.”

    19th - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’38.271 – 64 laps)
    “We needed this test and we made the most of it. The work done during the weekend has naturally carried over to today; we concentrated on the feeling with the bike and I think it was a good day. Even though the times don’t show it (the wind affected his outing on soft tyres), I feel the bike a bit more mine. I was also able to try a new tank, a little bit more slender: as it often happens, I liked it on some aspects and liked it less on others.”

  4. Suzuki summer test ride roadshow announced

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    Suzuki has announced dates of a summer test ride roadshow, which will take place at a variety of dealerships from April to September with a number of key models in the range available to demo, including the new GSX-S1000GT and the third generation Hayabusa.

    Starting on April 9 at Completely Suzuki in Hinckley, Suzuki will be bringing a fleet of test ride bikes to each event – with individual dealerships also bolstering the number of bikes available with their own demo machines – that includes the V-Strom 1050XT adventure bike, GSX-S1000 naked, the newly-launched GSX-S1000GT, and the Hayabusa hyperbike.

    With models such as the GSX-S1000GT in high demand the events will give prospective customers the chance to secure a test ride on the model they’re most interested in, and also sample many other bikes in Suzuki’s range

    Suzuki GB’s head of motorcycle marketing, Ian Bland, commented, “We’ve had two years of uncertainty around events so it’s nice to be able to announce this roadshow and we’re looking forward to getting out on the road again. It’s a great opportunity for us to meet and spend time with customers, and provide more opportunities for them to test ride many of our most popular models. 2022 is set to be a great riding season, especially with our range of new bikes and current offers.”

    Those wishing to book a test ride should contact their local participating dealership, and must ensure they are able to provide their driving licence and a DVLA check code, or their National Insurance number on the day.

    For a full list of dates, see below, or visit Suzuki’s 2022 events calendar.

    • 9 April, Completely Suzuki, Unit 14, Lime Kilns Way, Hinckley, Loughborough, LE10 3EL, 01455 811811
    •  6-7 May, CJ Ball Suzuki, Woodlands, Salhouse Road, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 9AB, 01603 307500
    • 21 – 22 May, Road and Racing, Clark Way, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 2AU, 0161 366 5167
    • 18 – 19 June, Cupar Motorcycles, West Port, Cupar, Fife, KY15 4AW, 01334 655707
    • 1 – 2 July, Frasers of Gloucester, 261 Bristol Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 5DB, 01452 306485
    • 16 – 17 July, A&D Motorcycles, Spencer Trading Estate, Rhyl Road, Denbigh, North Wales, LL16 5TQ, 01745 815105
    • 23 July, Streetbike, 91-107 Dudley Road, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 3NS, 0121 296 5661
    • 29-30 July, Single Tracker Motorcycles, 20-26 Flag Lane, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 3BG, 01270 212965
    • 13-14 August, Bridge Motorcycles, Alphin Brook Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 8RG, 01392 260200
    • 4 September, Orwells Motorcycles, Copdock Bike Show, Trinity Park, Ipswich, IP3 8UH, 01473 257401

    Note that bike availability may differ from one event to another. Customers are advised to speak to their local dealer in advance of the event to check availability.

  5. STAFFORD BIKE SHOW TAKES PODIUM POSITION WITH WORLD EXCLUSIVES!

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    THOUSANDS OF showgoers, including a Hollywood star, were out in the post-lockdown sunshine at the Stafford County Showground over the weekend of April 23 – 24 to celebrate all things motorbikes… and there was plenty to celebrate.

    The International Classic MotorCycle Show always has loads to see and do, and this year was no different as the crowds packed in to see bikes, club stands, trade stands, world exclusives, book launches, live trails, firing-up area, Bonhams’ auction, the competition hall… and more special guests than you could shake a stick at!

    Perhaps the most notable display was the world exclusive Mike Hailwood exhibit, featuring never-before-seen family memorabilia of the former champion. Guests were able to view these heirlooms, from his 1978 TT winner’s Dunlop cap through to his George Medal, awarded when Mike rescued Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM at the South African Formula 1 GP. Talking of awards and winners, the class of 1978, which consisted of Alex George, Ian Richards, Phil Read and Chas Mortimer, were on stage across the weekend giving first-hand accounts of their racing careers and inside stories into the motorbike racing scene.

    The Bonhams Auction was particularly nail biting with a very special ex-Reg Barton, Dick Knight, 1929 Brough Superior 996cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Sprint Special which sold for a staggering £220,000! And showgoers might also have even seen an A-list celebrity or two. Jason Momoa, best known as DC superhero Aquaman, was also there. Being a keen motorcycle enthusiast, Jason perused the show and examined the lots in the Bonhams Auction.

    Event organiser Nick Mowbray said: “It was a brilliant weekend! We have received marvellous feedback from visitors and traders alike. The addition of the Hailwood display and the ‘Class of 78’ added something very special to a tried-and-tested format.”