BROUGH SUPERIOR AUCTIONED FOR $458K IN UK

What made this SS100 extra special was that it was originally owned by George Brough himself. First registered as a sidecar hauler in May, 1939, the bike was campaigned by Brough in the arduous London-Edinburgh trial shortly after it was built, followed by numerous other trials and road tests before the onset of World War II in September.

Sold near the end of WWII, the Brough was sold again, this time as a solo, to the vendor's father in the 1960s. A runner, but in need of much work, the then owner refurbished the bike, calling on George Brough himself to assist with parts supply. Back on the road by 1965, the SS100 was used regularly for the next couple of years before being put into storage.

In the early 00's, the SS100 was refurbished again, along with two other Broughs, when it was fitted with a new, non-original stainless steel fuel tank and replacement gearbox. The originals for both these items were included in the sale, though, along with logbooks, technical information and various SS100-related correspondence and literature.

At the Stafford auction, the ex-George Brough SS100 comfortably exceeded its pre-auction estimate of _140,000 - 180,000 (AU$254,733 - $327,510) to sell for an impressive _253,500 (AU$458,508 approx). To put this into context, back in 1961 the Brough sold for a mere _70!

Other Brough Superiors at this sale included an SS80 with a sidecar, which sold for _55,200 (AU$100,189), and a dismantled, project-spec '39 SS80 which made _36,800 (AU$66,792).

Other lots of interest from this auction included an early (1975) Bimota HB1, which sold for _57,500 (AU$104,363), 1975 Healey 100/4 (_36,800 - AU$66,792), 1953 Vincent Black Shadow (_70,940 - AU$128,750), 1972 MV Agusta 750S (_85,500 - AU$155,184), and a 1929 Scott Works racer with 7M engine and TT history, which reached _31,050 (AU$56,356).

Away from the bikes there was a bunch of memorabilia, too, including the World Superbike Championship trophy presented to Carl Fogarty at Phillip Island in 1994. That item sold for _1,750 (AU$3,176), within its pre-sale estimate.

Total sales from this auction were over _2 million (AU$3.62 million). For further results and full details from this auction, go to: www.bonhams.com