On 21st and 22nd April, the largest ever Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale of classic and collectors' motorcycles will take place at the International Classic MotorCycle Show. The sale has been split in to a two-day event to accommodate the astonishing number of machines on offer. More than 300 motorcycles have been consigned - including several single-owner collections – ranging from pre-war American machines to modern Japanese superbikes.

One of them is the 1973 MV Augusta 750 Sport, considered one of the most desirable of post-war motorcycles.

We have worked closely with experts at Bonhams Auction House - the most renowned auctioneers of fine art, motorbikes, cars and jewellery. They provided us with official valuations in order to properly understand how much these motorbikes have appreciated since they came out on the market. As a result, we now have information on some of the most valuable motorbikes in recent history.

Features:

• A list of 30 motorbikes ranked by both 'current value' and 'appreciation' with a short bio
• Top 10 list of most valuable motorbikes and motorbikes that has appreciated the most in value
• Fully embeddable
• Quotes from expert 

In the existing list, we have a 1972 MV Agusta 750s that reached a selling price of £84,380 so it will be interesting to see what the final price will land on for the 1973 model that’s up for grabs on Sunday. It’s expected to land on anything between £70,000 and £90,000.

1973 MV AGUSTA 750S Registration no. CNF 113M Frame no. MV4C75 Lot 262 (22 Apr 2018, 12:00 BST)

'The 750S is still one of the most dramatic looking bikes made. This is in no small part due to the colours: crimson frame, red, blue and white tank, and white fairing with the insignia of MV Agusta emblazoned on the sides.' – Bike magazine.

Developed from its long line of highly successful multi-cylinder racers, MV Agusta's first road-going four - the 4C, a twin-carburettor, 600cc, shaft-driven tourer - appeared in 1965. But the public demanded something more exciting from many-times World Champions MV, and the Gallarate manufacturer duly obliged in 1968, upping capacity to 743cc and further boosting maximum power (to 65bhp) by fitting a quartet of Dell'Orto carburettors to the revised 750S, a high-speed symphony in red, white, and blue. Perhaps surprisingly for a sports model, the 750S retained the 4C's shaft final drive, while the frame too was virtually identical to that of its predecessor.

Hand made in limited numbers and priced accordingly, the 750S was way beyond the financial reach of the average enthusiast, selling to the kind of well-healed individual who might also own a Ferrari, Maserati, or Lamborghini. Marque specialist, the late Mick Walker got to try a mint, low mileage example in 1983, recording the event in his book 'MV Agusta Fours': 'The experience was unique; the rider was transported to a different level, and made to feel really special. There was certainly a pronounced "feel-good factor".'

Quote from expert 
Ben Walker, international director for Bonhams collectors' motorcycle department stated:

Why we selected the bikes we did
-       “When choosing which motorcycles to feature we’ve tried to select machines from across the collecting spectrum - from the early Pioneer period with the 1908 Triumph 3½hp Combination through the post-classic 1990 Honda VFR750R Type RC30.

-       These are machines that will appeal to all areas of enthusiasm – not just because of their value but also because of the nostalgia that they evoke.”

The increase in value
-       “It is fascinating to see how the values have increased since the machines were new. Knowing what we know now – the percentage increase in value and how difficult it is to acquire these machines - it would be great to step back in time and buy them when new….”

Top 10 most valuable motorbikes

1. 1951 Vincent Black Lightning - £ 657,652 
2. The ex-Hubert Chantrey, 1932 Brough Superior 800cc Model BS4 Project - £ 331,900
3. 1929 Brough Superior 968cc SS100 - £ 315,000
4. Rare 'one-of-one' Black Shadow variant in Chinese Red - 1951 Vincent White Shadow - £ 305,210
5. 1939 Vincent-HRD 998cc Series-A Rapide - £ 275,900
6. 1939 Vincent-HRD 998cc Rapide Series-A Project - £ 270,300
7. 1927 Brough Superior 981cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Project - £ 259,100
8. The ex-George Brough, London-Edinburgh Trial - 1939 Brough Superior 990cc SS100 - £ 253,500
9. The ex-Murray Motorcycle Museum, 1934 Brough Superior 996cc SS100 - £ 242,300
10. 1926 Brough Superior 981cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Project - £ 236,700

Top 10 by value appreciation (inflation adjusted appreciation value)

1. 1951 Vincent Black Lightning - 4475.23%
2. 1929 Brough Superior 968cc SS100 - 3023.07%
3. Rare 'one-of-one' Black Shadow variant in Chinese Red - 1951 Vincent White Shadow - 2789.63%
4. The ex-George Brough, London-Edinburgh Trial - 1939 Brough Superior 990cc SS100 - 2735.30%
5. The ex-Hubert Chantrey, 1932 Brough Superior 800cc Model BS4 Project - 2666.55%
6. 1927 Brough Superior 981cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Project - 2585.46%
7. 1926 Brough Superior 981cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Project - 2422.67%
8. The ex-Murray Motorcycle Museum, 1934 Brough Superior 996cc SS100 - 2164.34%
9. 1937 Matchless 1,000cc Model X - 1008.66%
10. 1939 Vincent-HRD 998cc Series-A Rapide - 981.17%

 

Article supplied to THE BIKER GUIDE