Bumper Bonhams auction extends to two days at Stafford Classic Show

To accommodate a bumper crop of consignments, Bonhams has extended its spring sale to two days at the International Classic MotorCycle Show this April.

Across the weekend of April 21-22, the largest ever Bonhams Spring Sale of classic and collectors’ motorcycles will take place at the International Classic MotorCycle Show at Staffordshire County Showground. It’s been split across two days to over 300 motorcycles – including several single-owner collections, from pre-war American machines to modern Japanese superbikes.

It’ll kick off on the Saturday at 2pm, beginning with an impressive collection of memorabilia and more than 100 lots of spares, including many new old stock items, frames, engines and highly sought-after Vintage spares. A range of important trophies will also be offered, including those won by Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood, two Manx Grand Prix trophies and the seriously rare Air Sea Rescue Vincent Two-stroke 1942 Lifeboat engine.

Following the spares and memorabilia sale, Bonhams will be offering up the Tan House Collection, which comprises of 60 barn find machines, including a wide selection of machines from Britain’s finest manufacturers from the 1910’s-1960’s in addition to an eclectic mix of European and Japanese lightweights, accumulated by their enthusiast owner over the past three decades. Many are in outstandingly original condition, and all are ripe for restoration.

Highlights from the Tan House Collection include:

1913 Indian 7hp Model E Combination (£16,000-22,000)

c.1913 Matchless 8hp (£10,000-14,000)

1927 Triumph 494cc Model P (£4,000-5,000)

1933 Sunbeam 489cc Lion (£4,000-6,000)

1926 Norton 490cc 16H (£8,000-12,000)

Bill To, department specialist and the consignor of the collection at Bonhams, commented: ‘This is a fantastic collection, and one that we are very proud to offer. It has everything a keen restorer could hope for, and many of the machines are in impressively original condition having been untouched for the past 30 years. This is the finest genuine patina on the market!’

And on Sunday, The Miklos Collection will cross the auction block together with 160 further consignments. The Miklos Collection comprises 41 lots, and is an impressive range of rare and significant motorcycles built up over a lifetime of passionate collecting by the late Miklos ‘Mike’ Salamon. The Surrey-based collection contains some of the most remarkable and sought-after machines available in this year’s Spring Sale, including a 1970 Clymer Münch 1,177cc TTS ‘Mammoth’ (£75,000-100,000), a 1940 Indian 78ci Four (£28,000-35,000) and a 1973 MV Agusta 750S (£70,000-90,000).

James Stensel, Bonhams Motorcyles Head of Department said: ‘We are delighted to announce another two-day Stafford Sale, to be held on the 21st and 22nd April. Bonhams have long been the auction house of choice for interesting and important one owner collections. The consignment of The Tan House Collection will make for another incredibly diverse Stafford Sale, which has long been Europe’s largest, longest running and record-breaking collectors’ motorcycle auction.’

For more information on the Stafford International Classic MotorCycle Show, click HERE. And to take a look at the Bonhams Auction listings, click HERE.

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