2017 Las Vegas motorcycle auctions - Mecum
In the US, January is the first big auction “season” of the year, mainly in Arizona, where major auction houses conduct expansive sales of classic and collectable cars.
In neighbouring Nevada, motorcycles are the focus, with two big sales run by Bonhams and Mecum in the gambling capital of Las Vegas.
Bigger Show
As reported last issue, Bonhams’ sale saw almost 350 motorcycles consigned, but this was dwarfed by Mecum’s four-day auction this past 25 – 28 January, which attracted more than 1,000 motorcycles, plus related collectables and memorabilia.
As with Bonhams’ sale, there was plenty to choose from in Mecum’s Vegas auction, from old to virtually new, big to small, familiar names to forgotten rarities.
While marques like Vincent and Brough Superior continue to sell well (a ’49 Vincent Black Shadow made US$110,000), Mecum’s sale result showed - even moreso than the Bonhams’ auction - the increasing demand for veteran-era American motorcycles.
At the Mecum sale, nine of the Top Ten sellers were “home grown”, with nothing newer than 1941 amongst the American offerings.
Older machinery from Excelsior, Indian and Flanders (more on that later) featured in the ‘Top Ten’ sales from this auction, but Henderson was the star marque, accounting for four of the top ten – with a 1912 Henderson Four leading the way.
Henderson – The Man
To understand a little of the Henderson marque, you first need to understand a little of the man behind it.
William Henderson was born in 1882, growing through the closing years of the 19th Century at the same time as America’s automobile industry was also growing. But William Henderson hadn’t just been born alongside the industry, he was born INTO it.
The Winton Motor Carriage Company was something of a trailblazer in the US auto industry, founded by the William Henderson’s grandfather, Alexander Winton, in 1897, and was one of the first companies to produce cars in anything like regular volume. William’s father, Thomas W. Henderson, served as Vice President of the company.
The young William Henderson joined Winton as a 16 year old, alongside his elder brother, Thomas. Considered something of a prodigy in the field of engineering, William’s abilities were unquestioned, but the teenager’s fascination was with two-wheel, not four-wheel motorized transport.
While he had been toying with motorcycle design and engineering from a very young age; William’s ideas developed to a more solid form when, in 1909, the then 27-year-old produced complete plans for a four-cylinder-engined motorcycle.
The likes of Indian and Harley-Davidson were known names by this time, as were many other makes, but William wanted to build a motorcycle that was more advanced than what anyone else was producing.
Against his father’s advice – who saw no future in motorcycles – William founded the Henderson Motorcycle Company with brother Thomas in 1911, their first publicly-available models arriving in 1912.
Henderson - The Four
That initial product of the Henderson works in Detroit was an advanced and well-equipped motorcycle, powered by a 59ci (967cc) F-head inline four-cylinder engine not all that far removed from what William Henderson had developed three years earlier (note: some sources identify the Four as 57ci – 934cc).
With a leading-link-style front suspension, single-speed transmission and chain final drive, a curios feature on the 1912 Henderson Fours was their automobile-style hand crank for starting, rather than a kick or pedal start. A long chassis improved the bike’s stability, with some variants of the initial-year model featuring tandem seating.
For its period, the Henderson Four produced smooth, reliable power and was arguably a cut above anything else available at the time in terms of finish and quality.
While capacity was around the same as larger v-twins from other makes, the Henderson Four was identified as a fast machine. That meant it found favour with police departments, as well as racers; a market the Hendersons had never really considered.
A favourite machine for those involved in record-setting events, from simple ‘town-to-town’ speed records to more substantial transcontinental events, the Henderson Four also proved it was durable when Carl Clancy used one to undertake the first ever around-the-world journey on a motorcycle.
Despite the publicity these events generated, the Henderson brothers found the American motorcycle market to be tough. Their motorcycle may have been impressive, but it was also expensive, with a US$325 starting price (C1912) putting it at the top end of an arena that was clogged with alternatives.
In 1918, the Hendersons sold out to Ignatz Schwinn, who was producing bicycles under his own name and motorcycles under the Excelsior banner. William served as factory superintendent at Excelsior-Henderson, and Thomas as general sales manager, but the working relationship under Schwinn proved disagreeable to both brothers, who left within a couple of years. William went on to serve as chief engineer for the Philadelphia-based Ace Motor Corporation, where four-cylinder motorcycles similar to the original Henderson Four were produced.
Following William’s death testing a new model in 1922, Ace went bust in 1924. While recapitalized, it never enjoyed the same success and was taken over by Indian, who would rebadge and release Henderson’s four as the Indian Ace - Indian’s first four-cylinder model - from 1928.
William Henderson’s legacy also survived him at Excelsior, where their four-cylinder range would continue to be produced up to 1931.
Lone Survivor
The unit consigned for the Mecum auction was from Henderson’s first year of production, identified by the tubular fuel tank which was changed to a slab-sided design for 1913.
Hendersons from the 1912-model year have appeared at auction before, including last year’s Mecum Vegas sale when a restored, dual-seat Four sold for US$165,000 (AU$212,850).
However, what set this particular 1912 unit apart from the pack was its largely untouched appearance. With original paint and, remarkably, its original tyres, too, Mecum described the Four as the only known original-paint, first-year model in the USA and a “solid-gold original”.
While Mecum don’t provide pre-auction estimates, the Henderson was expect to sell well, but the final sale price of US$490,000 (AU$641,020 approx.) would have been a surprise.
The result easily topped all other lots from the auction and also puts the Henderson in the Number 5 slot on the ‘most expensive motorcycles sold at auction’ list that’s monitored by The Vintagent blogspot.
Henderson’s Field
Compared to the $640K+ the 1912 model fetched, the US$150,000 (AU$196,300 approx.) paid for a restored 1913-model Henderson Four seems like an absolute bargain!
Mechanically, the 1913 models were virtually identical to Henderson’s first year offerings, but notable differences include a modified frame which allowed for a lower seating position, as well as improved front suspension, a better brake (albeit still only on the rear wheel) and reshaped fuel tank.
Defined by its twin-seat layout, the 1913 model that made US$150K had been thoroughly restored, including a superbly finished and polished engine. Detail touches included authentic Persons leather saddles, acetylene headlight and a Lovell-McConnell hand klaxon (horn) mounted to the frame.
The third best seller at the Mecum auction was another 1913-model Henderson Four, finished in solo-seat configuration. Still with all its original tinware and engine componentry (including the original pistons), this example had been restored in the early 1960s and maintained in running condition since. With documented history stretching back to the original owner and most recently coming from the LaQuay Collection in Colorado, this Henderson sold for US$127,500 (AU$166,800 approx.).
Further down the Top Ten list was a 1931 Henderson Four, from the period when Excelsior and Henderson shared model names, as well as many other features.
The 1931-model Henderson Fours, also known as the Model K, would prove to be the last built, with both Henderson and Excelsior production ended by parent company Schwinn as the Great Depression began to bite and motorcycle sales plummeted.
While they were the last, the Hendersons from 1931 were also thought to be the best, thanks to a redesign of the four-cylinder engine by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer, Arthur Constantine. The 40hp (29.8kW) produced by the now 1300cc four made it one of the most powerful motorcycles of its day, with improvements to the frame and suspension also benefitting performance.
At Mecum’s Vegas sale, the 1931 Model KJ Streamline, described as having a concours-quality restoration, sold for US$95,000 (AU$124,280 approx.).
Flanders Field
Of the other early American marques consigned, a 1914 Flanders drew attention and a healthy sale price.
Flanders motorcycles made their debut after company founder Walter Flanders had been involved in the automotive industry in numerous capacities, including time under Henry Ford.
When his latest automotive venture was bought out by Studebaker in 1911, Flanders turned to motorcycles, using the mass production techniques he’d learned at Ford (he allegedly was influential in the development of the assembly line) to produce reliable motorcycles at affordable prices.
The first product of this venture was a 29.5ci (484cc) single-cylinder model known as the ‘Flanders 4’ for its 4hp (3kW) output. Designed to be an everyman’s machine and priced at US$175 in 1911, the Flanders 4 sold well enough for Flanders to consider the addition of a higher-powered companion, the Model C, in 1914.
This featured a 61ci (1000cc) v-twin outputting 8hp (6kW) and capable of a claimed top speed of 120km/h. Characterized by a fully-enclosed final drive chain, the Model C also featured enclosed valve springs and tappets, while period parts included a Schebler carburettor and Splitdorf magneto.
Like the Flanders 4, the Model C was priced competitively at US$210 when it debuted in 1914, but production came to an end in the same year when Flanders closed down.
How many of the v-twin Flanders models were built is unknown, but the unit presented at Vegas is widely believed to be the only survivor. In the one owners’ possession from new until 1978, the Model C then became part of the Otis Chandler collection before it was sold by Bonhams in 2010 for AU$113,000. At last year’s Mecum Vegas sale, the same bike was purchased for the LaQuay Collection for US$90,000 (AU$116,100 approx.).
At this year’s Mecum Vegas auction, the Flanders was part of a sell-off of 60+ bikes from the LaQuay Collection, and sold for US$95,000 (AU$124,280 approx.).
Also at Mecum
Other bikes to sell well from the LaQuay Collection included a 1923 Indian Chief with matching Princess sidecar that was formerly part of Steve McQueen’s collection and sold for US$100,000 (AU$130,820 approx.).
Also from the LaQuay Collection, a 1929 Cleveland Tornado, sold for US$91,000 (AU$119,000 approx.), with other highlights including ‘Liberty Edition’ Harley-Davidson Superglide and FLH models from 1976 (US$10,000 and US$23,000 – AU$13,080 and AU$30,090 approx.) and a Willie G Edition Dyna Wide Glide from ’83 (US$11,000 – AU$14,390 approx.), a 1908 Marsh Metz (US$25,000 – AU$32,700 approx.), ex-Steve McQueen 1914 Pope Model K (US$50,000 – AU$65,400 approx.), 1928 Harley-Davidson JDH (US$90,000 – AU$117,750 approx.), plus Captain America and Billy Bike ‘Easy Rider’ replicas (US$40,500 and US$23,000 – AU$53,000 and AU$30,100 approx., respectively).
Obviously, with more than 1,000 lots consigned, covering everything from this auction is impossible, but away from the LaQuay Collection, other notable sales included US$117,500 (AU$153,710 approx.) for a 1928 Excelsior ‘Big Bertha’ hillclimber in original, unrestored condition. The model auctioned, formerly part of the E.J. Cole Collection that was sold in March, 2015, is believed to be one of only four dedicated hillclimbers built before all Excelsior-Henderson production ended in 1931.
Oddities and rarities included a Bridgestone TMX Scrambler (US$600 – AU$785 approx.), 1967 Sears-branded Puch “split-single” two-stroke (passed in), 1970 Kawasaki ‘Centurion’ 100cc scrambler (US$5,000 – AU$6,550 approx.), Greeves Ranger (US$8,000 – AU$10,460 approx.) and a restored ’59 Fuji Rabbit scooter (AU$7,500 – AU$9,800 approx.).
For further results from Mecum’s Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, go to: mecum.com.
Special thanks to Mecum and Christine Giovingo for assistance with this article.
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: courtesy of Mecum Auctions
