Las Vegas Auctions 2016

By Richard Backus
Published on April 5, 2016
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Top money at Bonhams was $434,000 for this one-of-one 1951 red Vincent White Shadow.
Top money at Bonhams was $434,000 for this one-of-one 1951 red Vincent White Shadow.
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1972 Ducati 750GT as 196th made, sold for $29,900.
1972 Ducati 750GT as 196th made, sold for $29,900.
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Restored 1950 Moto Guzzi Falcone went for $17,250.
Restored 1950 Moto Guzzi Falcone went for $17,250.
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Original 41-mile 1977 MV Agusta 750S took $120,500.
Original 41-mile 1977 MV Agusta 750S took $120,500.
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Ex-McQueen 1963 Triumph Bonneville for $103,500.
Ex-McQueen 1963 Triumph Bonneville for $103,500.
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Original 450-mile 1982 Triumph Bonneville sold for $8,625.
Original 450-mile 1982 Triumph Bonneville sold for $8,625.
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Top money at Mecum was $165,000 for this 1912 Henderson.
Top money at Mecum was $165,000 for this 1912 Henderson.
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Nicely restored 1967 Norton P11 went for $20,000.
Nicely restored 1967 Norton P11 went for $20,000.
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Wild supercharged 1952 Vincent Black Shadow drag bike went for $90,000.
Wild supercharged 1952 Vincent Black Shadow drag bike went for $90,000.
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1992 Bimota Tesi sold for $16,750.
1992 Bimota Tesi sold for $16,750.
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1969 Kawasaki H1 drew $14,000.
1969 Kawasaki H1 drew $14,000.
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Lovely 1968 Gilera 160SS went for $4,000.
Lovely 1968 Gilera 160SS went for $4,000.
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Packing ’em in: Mecum Auctions lined up almost 650 vintage bikes for its three-day Las Vegas sale, selling 516.
Packing ’em in: Mecum Auctions lined up almost 650 vintage bikes for its three-day Las Vegas sale, selling 516.

Vincents, including Egli-Vincents, continue to command top prices, with 12 sold at Bonhams’ Las Vegas auction for an average of $129,856 and six at Mecum’s auction for an average of $80,583.

It was a good event for Mecum and Bonhams, with combined total sales for both auction houses coming in at $13,854,965 in 2016 against $11,800,000 in 2015, an increase of almost 17.5 percent. Mecum had total sales of $9,054,965 in 2016 against $7,300,000 in 2015, an increase of more than 24 percent. Of 646 bikes offered, 516 sold for an 80 percent sell-through. The average price at Mecum in 2016 was $17,000, $5,000 more than 2015.

Bonhams saw a smaller increase, with total sales of $4,800,000 in 2016 against $4,500,000 in 2015, an increase of almost 7 percent. Of 241 bikes offered, 198 sold for an 82 percent sell-through. The average price paid at Bonhams in 2016 was $24,242, $4,343 more than 2015. Mecum charges a 10 percent buyer’s premium on bikes sold with a reserve and a 7 percent buyer’s premium on bikes sold without a reserve. At Bonhams, the premium is 15 percent on the first $100,000 and 10 percent on any amount over $100,000. Bonhams prices reported here include the buyer’s premium while the Mecum prices do not unless noted.

The bikes

So what’s the market looking like, and are vintage bikes continuing to increase in value? Generally speaking, yes, but the evidence, as usual, is somewhat mixed.

Viewed through the Vegas lens, Vincents are, to no one’s surprise, still rising to the top of the collecting heap, as are rare pre-World War I and World War II American machines. At Bonhams, a one-of-one 1951 Vincent Series C “Red” White Shadow cost its new owner a staggering $434,000. That’s the most ever paid for a Vincent at auction, beating out the $418,940 paid for a 1939 Series A Rapide at Bonhams’ annual Stafford, England, auction in 2015. In both cases, rarity was the determining factor; only 80 Series A Rapides were built between 1937-1939 and this particular 1951 Series C was truly a one-of-a-kind, powered by an unpainted Black Shadow-spec engine and wearing red paint on both frame and sheet metal, the only bike ever to leave the Vincent factory so equipped.

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