1942 Harley-Davidson WLA. Photos courtesy Bonhams Auctions.
A collection of sixty rare motorcycles stored away in Italy at the private museum of Tiberio Lonati will be the focus of the upcoming Bonham’s Autumn Stafford Sale, taking place on October 17-18 in Staffordshire, UK. Highlights of the collection include a 1910 Pierce Four, a 1942 Harley-Davidson military WLA model, a 1916 Henderson Four, and a 1911 Flying Merkel. Additional early Harley-Davidson models from this collection will be offered, such as a 1920 Model J, however, some of the lesser known bikes, like a 1918 Thor Model U will also be appealing to bidders at this auction.
We picked just a few more of interest from the vast array featured in the sale catalog:
1965 Marusho R92 Lilac the “Japanese BMW”
The 1965 Marusho R92 Lilac was one of the first heavyweight motorcycles released by the Marusho company after their reorganization in 1964 and clearly was influenced by the early sixties BMW R50s. The horizontally-opposed boxer twin engine, also displacing 500cc, is probably the most prominent similarity. Few were sold in the US under the Marusho ST name designation (the Lilac moniker applied to bikes sold in Australia and Japan) and only about 500 were manufactured in total. If sold at the pre-auction estimates of $7,500 to $9,000, the bike could prove to be a steal.
1971 Munch TTS Mammoth
Freidl Munch built these bikes for TT racing using inspirations from other performance bikes of the day. The NSU 4-cylinder OHC engine was the same one that used in the NSU Prinz car and it was housed within a Manx Norton-inspired frame. The designs were cutting-edge during this time period and Munch used magnesium alloy extensively in the cases and frame to reduce the weight of the bike to less than 450 lbs. Each bike was hand-built at the Munch factory, and the bike being offered is number 147 of a very limited number of bikes ever produced. Early models of this bike came with a 1,000 cc version of the engine and achieved speed of 120 mph, however, this later model TTS Mammoth had a larger 1177cc version of the engine that produced 104bhp at the rear wheel and could easily top 140 mph. The Mammoth name had to be dropped due to copyright restrictions. This unique Munch is expected to garner bids between $40,000- $50,000.
1960 Mead Norton Manx 250cc Racing Motorcycle
This bike is an ex-Henry Stanford, Isle of Man TT entry and was designed by Ron Mead specifically to meet the 250cc qualifications for the Isle of Mann TT. It was raced in both 1960 and 1961 and was rebuilt in the early 2000s. It was also ridden during parade laps at the 2004 and 2005 Isle of Mann TT. Pre-auction estimates say the bidding will approach $30,000.
1937 Brough Superior 990cc SS100
Brough motorcycles always perk up a crowd since they are some of the most sought after and highest-selling bikes at public auctions each year, and this one should be no different. This particular bike was displayed at the 1936 Olympia Motorcycle Show and has the documentation to prove it. Powered by Matchless 990 cc engine, the bike went through an extensive restoration by the original owner in 1957 when a gearbox from a Brough SS80 was installed and the original tank was swapped out for that from a 1937 SS100. The second owner of this Brough logged over 70,000 miles before selling in in 2012 to its third and current owner. Pre-auction estimates are between $320,000-$360,000.
1934 Indian 750cc Sport Scout, formerly belonging to Steve McQueen
I know, I know, another ex-Steve McQueen bike, but tell me you wouldn’t want one if you could afford it. The 1934 Sport Scout comes with Utah registration documentation proving it was owned by McQueen’s wife Barbara after his death. The bike was originally purchase at the Bonham’s San Francisco auction of McQueen bikes in November of 2006 and has only been ridden occasionally since. Perhaps the owner has watched his investment grow as the prices at recent auctions for ex-McQueen motorcycles have hit new highs. This bike should go for a modest $85,000-$100,000.
Over 175 bikes will be offered at the Sandylands Centre on the Staffordshire County Showgrounds. The 60-bike Lonati Collection will be sold on Saturday, October 17, with the rest of the rare-marque-rich catalog being sold on Sunday, October 18. James, Ariel, Velocette, Aermacchi, Douglas, AJS and Scott machines will be intermingled with Triumphs, BSAs, Hondas, Vincents and Zeniths. The catalog for this auction is as thick as the white pages for Wheeling, WV, and there is something for everyone in this sale. An investment acquisition, daily rider or your next project bike could be right under your nose at this sale. Further details and a complete list of every bike scheduled to be sold is available at Bonhams.com.
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