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collector classics

Friday, February 4, 2011

The very best on two wheels

I
enjoy receiving emails about my column. Last week, a reader contacted me about the state of the collector motorcycle market; the value of desirable motorcycles seems to be climbing just as fast as some selected European collector cars. When you think of motorcycles, there are a few iconic examples that come to mind. Steve McQueens Triumph TR6 Desert Racer, or perhaps Peter Fonda on a Harley Davidson known as Captain America. The Rolls-Royce of all motorcycles has to be the Brough Superior SS100. This is a bike that has always been considered the epitome of luxury, style and elegance; the most famous Brough owner was T.E Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence owned seven Brough

Nigel Matthews
collector classics models during his life, calling them all George. Ironically, one of the greatest war heroes of modern times was killed riding George VII. I suspect he named his Broughs George after George Brough the manufacturer or after his friend, writer George Bernard Shaw. Shaw later
War hero T.E. Lawrence was a great admirer and owner of several Brough Superior SS100s.
Submitted Photo

lamented that giving George VII to Lawrence as a gift was like handing a loaded pistol to a would-be suicide. Lawrence wasnt wearing a crash helmet the day he swerved to miss two children on bicycles and flew over the handle bars, sustaining severe head and chest injuries. He

remained unconscious for six days before succumbing to his injuries. George VII sustained superficial damage. Surfacing in 1997, it was offered for sale at an auction, described as the worlds most famous and romantic motorcycle. It failed to reach anywhere near the

asking price of 2 million. The pictured 1939 Brough Superior SS sold at the Mid America Auction in Las Vegas in January for $256,800. Nigel Matthews is the Sales and Marketing Executive for Hagerty Canada.
www.Hagerty.com nmatthews@hagerty.com

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