While cars can go for squillions, there has never been a motorcycle sold for more than a million at auction. Could that be about to change?
As things stand today, the record price at auction is held by a 1908 Harley-Davidson ‘Strap Tank’ at $935,000, with a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning ($929,000), a 1915 Cyclone Board Track ($852,500) and a 1936 Crocker ($825,000) close behind.
So the barrier you might have expected to be smashed a long time ago has still not been broken. Stamps, baseball cards, comics and countless other cultural relics regularly sell for multiples of millions, and the record for a car is now $150 million, but never has a motorcycle sold for more than a million dollars at auction.
The latest contender with an excellent chance of achieving the million dollar milestone. It won’t need much introduction to baby boomer motorcycle enthusiasts – it’s one of the original eight debutante bikes that Ducati took to the 1972 Imola 200 mile race. The race was Europe's answer to Daytona.
Ducati blitzed the field in that race, with Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari finishing first and second and recording the first of many wins for the signature 90-degree Ducati V-twin. That basic engine configuration kept Ducati at the forefront of superbike racing for half a century, and was only recently superseded when the V4 arrived.
The Gooding & Company auction description points out that “the chance to purchase one of these famed 750 Imola Desmos may never appear again.” Maybe there will be another opportunity a decade or two from now, but don't count on it.
As with all auctions, it all depends on who wants it, and how serious they are. If there's more than one serious buyer, you never know what might happen.
The auction has begun and will begin closing on 17 May. Here’s the auction page.
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