Bonhams Stafford Sale Includes £350,000 BMW

One of the biggest motorcycle auctions of the year is the prestigious Autumn Stafford Sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show.

Every year it's packed full of drool-worthy bikes, from vintage machines in need of total restorations, to show-ready concourse examples. There’s also normally a healthy amount of historically important racing machines from across the eras. And on that final point, this year’s sale includes a particularly stunning machine.

The bike in question is an ex-works BMW RS M255 Kompressor, a timewarp example of a classic racing machine that is very, very rare. The bike in question is frame number 03, while the engine is D22 and while BMW’s archives can’t precisely confirm how many RS racing machines were made, the estimate from the experts is that no more than ten rolled off the production line, with seven being known to exist.

Until the mid-1930s, BMW had chased land speed records with various Kompressor (supercharged) motorcycles, although a desire to race in motorcycle Grand Prix events, that at the time was dominated by British marques like Norton and AJS. Unperturbed, BMW set to work modifying its straighteners for circuit racing, changing the valvetrain, adjusting the position of the supercharger, and telescopic forks and plunger rear shocks were employed.

The sale of the bike is being billed as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bag the ultimate pre-war racing machine, although it will need considerable work before firing up the engine again. The listing notes that some of the engine casing gaskets and other parts have perished over time, and that the magnesium casings are showing some signs of corrosion. Those points aside, it’s surely going to be one of the biggest auction lots we see rolling over the block this year, although with a guide price of between £250,000 to £350,000, you’re going to need deep pockets to add it to your collection.

The Stafford Sale takes place on 13 October 2024, 11:00 am. More details about this lot can be found on the official website.

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