MIXED RESULTS FOR MOTORCYCLES AT BONHAMS QUAIL LODGE SALE

The showcase lot and main talking point prior to the Quail Lodge auction was the AJS E95"Porcupine" racer. This ex-Roy Richards machine,the thirdof only four built,was a longstanding display at the UK's National Motorcycle Museum (NMM) after its racing days came to an end. Restored in the USA between 2000 and 2004, the 'F3' E95 was lucky to escape the disastrous fire that destroyed many of the NMM's displays in 2003. The passing of Richards sawthis significant motorcyclego into the hands of the vendor, who consigned it for Quail Lodge.Tipped as the top seller prior to the auction,with an estimate of US$750,000 - US$950,000, 'F3' was passed in, despite its rarity and remarkable condition.

Bonhams' top seller was a 1928 Coventry-Eagle OHV Flying-8, which sold for US$265,500. Similar in spec to a Brough Superior, Coventry-Eagles seem to appear less regularly on the auction circuit, which may have been a reason why this particular example was snapped up. Overhead valve models are also quite rare, but the fact that a 1925 sidevalve"companion"Coventry-Eagle didn't reach its reserve indicated the patchwork nature of the Quail Lodgesale, which also saw a number of interesting and significant automobile lots fail to attract buyers.

Among the good results was the US$93,600 paid for a 2011 Egli-Vincent. Built for the Discovery Channel TV show 'Cafe Racer', the Vincent featured a frame by Australian, Terry Prince. As he was once an employee of Fritz Egli himself,Prince was able to build the frame to genuine Egli specification. Prince also supplied the heads, barrels, stroker crank and other upgrade bits for the Vincent v-twin engine. The finished result was a stunner in its red frame and brightly polished tinwork.

A 1968 BMW R60/2 with Steib sidecar continued the trend of classic BMW motorcycles selling well at auction. The lot on offer at Quail Lodge was a standout in its Police Green/Mint Green two-tone paint and aftermarket Heinrich long-range fuel tank. Both the R60/2 and its matching Steib S350 'sport Chair' sidecar had been restored in 1999, and still looked fresh. The final sale price of US$42,120 showed that classic BMWs continue to be the current "must have" amongst collectors.

Another good result was the US$52,650 that a 1979Ducati 900SS NCR F1 sold for. Around twenty of these bikes were built for Formula 1 TT competition, and the lot on offer had raced in Italy before spending time in several collections when the F1 class was abandoned. The example on offer was almost completely original, which would have contributed to its strong sale price.

Amongst the lots that failed to sell was a 1955 Vincent Black Prince, 1908 Harley-Davidson replica, 1940 Brough Superior SS100 (billed as the last Brough to leave the factory), Ducati 750SS square case,and an immaculate 1928 Henderson DeLuxe Four from a South African collection. With a number of other auction houses also hosting their events around the Pebble Beach Concours and Retro Auto festival, the mixed result may have been a case of a crowded market, with simply too many auctions to choose from.