New & Features

Headliners at Bonhams’ sale include an ex-works Velocette, a rare Vincent twin, barn finds and crated 1990s superbikes, together with a plethora of affordable classics for every taste and budget. The sale’s leading lot is a double-overhead cam Velocette works racing motorcycle (£120,000-150,000) as raced by Freddie Frith in 1949 to win the 350cc class…

Continue reading »

One of the highlight for visitors to the Stafford Show, over April 22-23, will be the opportunity to see ‘The Blue Devil,’ Muriel Hind’s famous V-twin Rex. Having been domiciled on the Isle of Man for decades, featuring in the Murray Museum, the Rex returns to the mainland and will be on the Mortons stand,…

Continue reading »

Cheffins has more than 70 classic motorcycles coming into the Cambridge Vintage Sale on April 22. Included is a description 1951 Triumph 6T Thunderbird Bonneville Salt Flats Land Speed Racer which holds the national record in the 650cc M-VG Class held at the 2008 International Speed Trials at Bonneville. Other highlights include a lovely 1938…

Continue reading »

Following the death of John Surtees, we’ll be celebrating the life and achievements of the two and four-wheeled world champion with a special 32-page supplement, free with our next (June) issue. It will draw heavily on the Mortons archive, featuring a plethora of pictures of the great man in action on board the machines upon…

Continue reading »

The V-four Matchless featured in our last issue, and auctioned by Dee, Atkinson & Harrison at Sledmore House in Yorkshire on March 4, realised a premium inclusive (10% plus VAT) £48,160. The venue’s next auction will be on July 29; submit entries by contacting Andrew Spicer 01377 253151 or [email protected] Read more News and Features…

Continue reading »

The oldest known extant Vespa, one of the first series (‘0’) scooters, came up for sale with Dutch online auction site Catawiki. With prototypes one and two gone, this, the third, is the oldest. At the time of going to press, it had been bid to over £123,000! Have a look at www.catawiki.com Read more…

Continue reading »

The next edition of The Classic MotorCycle, the May 2017 number, has a cover feature which details BSA’s handsome and unusual BSA A65 Firebird Scrambler. In the 1950s and early 1960s, desert racing was big business in America – and BSA, along with fellow British maker Triumph, was, for the most part, the ‘weapon of…

Continue reading »

The Bristol show once more lived up to its reputation as a friendly, fun, feature-filled event, with some show-stopping machines up for delectation. For a few minutes, I stood by the information desk at the Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show. A man approached the desk: “Where’s the Lawrence Brough, please?” he enquired, and received…

Continue reading »

What is believed to be the only original/unrestored 1912 Henderson known in America, complete with original paint and tyres, sold at Mecum’s Las Vegas sale for a staggering $490,000. The in-line four, featuring a 59 cubic inch F-Head Four Cylinder engine, came out of the Doc Cleveland collection. Its unique condition, and the fact it…

Continue reading »

An overhead camshaft, four-cylinder 600cc machine, in a spring frame. Launched in late 1930. The Matchless Silver Hawk really was ahead of its time. Words: JAMES ROBINSON Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN The history of motorcycling is littered with glorious failure. Admittedly, some is more glorious than others – say, perhaps, Phillip Vincent’s determination to engineer (over-engineer)…

Continue reading »