Classic Motorcycle Mechanics show has va-va-voom

More than £1million worth of classic motorcycles and memorabilia has been sold at a Stafford show.

Special collectors' items - including an historic racing sidecar from the World Championships in 1968 - were amongst £1.4million worth of plots.

It took place at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics show on Sunday with Bonhams conducting the sale.

Ben Walker, head of Bonhams collectors' motorcycle department, said: "It's been another strong result, encompassing the whole range of collectors' motorcycles.

"Our sale at Stafford is clearly the auction to be at for anyone with a passion for old motorcycles!"

Top of the list was the historic sidecar outfit on which legendary Helmut Fath won the World Championship in 1968 and then Horst Owesle in 1971.

It was estimated to sell for between £70,000 and £80,000 but went for £102,700.

Helmut Fath was World Champion in 1960 riding a privately entered BMW but spent the next few years out of racing following a serious injury.

Fath then returned in 1968 when he and passenger Wolfgang Kalauch beat BMW-mounted Johann Attenberger to take the World Championship.

Next in the line was the 1929 Brough Superior Overhead 680 which sold for £93,900.

Also offered on Sunday was the actual 1977 MV Agusta 832cc Monza superbike tested by 'The Motor Cycle' magazine at 147mph - making it the fastest production machine in the world at that time.

This stunning piece of Italian exotica had had four owners when it was purchased by the current vendor in 1991 and had covered only 6,612 miles from new. The MV sold for a bang-on-estimate £31,050.

Bonham said a particular highlight of the sale was the spirited tussle between two telephone bidders - both in Australia - for the one-owner-from-new 1967 Velocette Venom Thruxton, which eventually sold for £21,850.

This was well above the top estimate of £18,000.