Richard Edmonds Auction June 2019

The Richard Edmonds three day auctions are well established and this year two have already passed and a third is to come. It is something of a small miracle how they manage to find so very many lots to sell. The last one was a fortnight ago, there were a few lots I took a fancy to and had a day spare so decided to make the journey up to Chippenham. The format of the auction is parts on day 1, day 2 'petroliana' (ie enamel signs, petrol cans, old advertising guff, etc) and day 3 vehicles. I was up for the parts day - I had quite taken a shine to a couple of bicycles that in the end went beyond my miserly budget. An auction is a social occasion as well as a good chance to be parted from your hard earned cash (or as is often the case buy stock if you are a dealer) and it was a good day out wandering around and nattering with fellow enthusiasts.

By the end of the day I had been outbid on most of the lots I was interested in, the cycles went for a bit more than I wanted to pay at the moment but I did go home with a very charming small selection of veteran Brooks leather motorcycle puncture repair cases and spare tube cases that were all bundled up together in one lot. Quite unusual items, I'll post pictures soon.

There were a few rather tasty vehicles coming up on the third day of the auction, some pictures are below as well as prices realised (or not in some cases...)

This 1934 Austin 7 Beaufort Special was a real cracker. A very
extensively and expensively modified car and unusually set up
for the taller driver. A really nice pre-war sports car with a
performance to keep up with modern traffic. It was estimated
at £15-18k and failed to sell.

Unrestored ex-police BSA  1932 BSA G12 combination was
rather nice but probably a big old heavy brute to ride. It sold
for a very reasonable £13.5k.

The Beesa G12 was original paint and event had 'Bath Police'
written on the door of the sidecar.

This very sweet French Carteret cyclecar was estimated £12-15k
but failed to sell. It was a bad day for car sales.

1933 Sunbeam Model 8. It was over estimated at £12-14k but
was in very tidy condition. In the end it made a respectable £10k.

I absolutely loved this 1926 Triumph Ricardo.
It looked like original paint but was in fact an
older restoration. In very nice condition with very
little evidence of wear and tear - all the nuts and bolts
were nice, clean hexagons. Evidently several other
people felt the same way as I did about the bike, the
difference being that they had spending money in their
pockets, and it went way above the £12-15k estimate
to hit £21k.

1922 Sunbeam 500cc side valve would make
a very decent flat tanker for regular use and
sold for a reasonable £8.5k.

1950 Douglas Competition Model went for £5.5k. Geared up
it would make a fun machine for Sunday runs and occasional
green lane excursions.

This 1922 Baby Triumph was a cracker but
it carried a more recent number plate as
evidence that it ha passed through the hands of
a number plate dealer in the wild west years of
personalised number plate shadiness in the 80s
and 90s when a lot of old bikes were stripped of
their history. As a result it only made £3.5k.

Despite its dodgy number the Baby Triumph
was a steal.

A very immaculate and seemingly ready to race Sprite Scramber
found a new home for £2.1k.

True Brit

I bought this BSA rolling chassis recently to harvest a few parts from. Despite the lack of engine and gearbox  it still managed a wee oil leak whilst standing outside awaiting space in the garage!

The Giants Run pt2

Here's the second tranche of images from the inaugural Giants Run from last month. A very successful first event, I hope I can take part next year...

Homebrewed Matchless special. Model X engine fitted in to a
Silver Arrow frame. With hindsight something Matchless
themselves should have done.

Well patinated Douglas.

Cammy Velo.

Bobbed Harley WL.

Lovely details on AJS v-twin.

A personal favourite of mine at the run was
this gloriously unwashed Norton 16H.

Once upon a time nearly all British motorcycles
that were used on a regular basis were this oily!

Please don't let this bike ever come near any
engine de-greaser.

Natural preservative.

Full military spec BSA M20.

Swiss BMW R25

The chap from whom I sourced this cracking old image told me that his step father climbed the Matterhorn as a young man and that the stylishly attired gent on the motorcycle is presumed to be his guide. The bike is a BMW R25/2 which was made from 1951 to 1953.

BMW R25/2 with Matterhorn guide aboard.

AJS R7 painting

Big thanks to James Kelly for loan of this picture to reproduce on the blog. A junk shop find, nothing is known of the painting bar the signature J. Way and a date 23/7/27.

It's no lost masterpiece but as an evocative period piece it is a peach. If I were to stick my neck out I would say that the location would be Ballaugh Bridge and the rider Jimmy Simpson. Simpson was third placed in the Junior TT in 1927.

Gillingham in Gear 2019

Gillingham in Dorset (with a hard g as in great as opposed to the Gillingham in Kent which is soft as in giraffe...) has a meadow in the centre of the town and once a year in June there is a petrol heads' gathering there something akin to a village fete.

Two and four wheelers are equally represented and the atmosphere is convivial and informal. Just ride / drive in, park up and stay as long as you like. There are a few club stands, the Royal Enfield Owners Club, Dorset VMCC, Gold Star Owners Club and Norton Owners Club were all out in force. Below a few pictures from the day.

A swarm of Gold Stars.

Rare bird, BSA Regal Gold Star SR500.

Moto eye candy, Ducati Elite.

Ducati alongside Honda CB road racer.

Has the Ducati Elite got the curviest, sexiest
petrol tank ever?

'Barn find' Suzuki T500.

Triumph 3/1 side valve from 1935.

REOC out in force.

Offside view of the Triumph 3/1.

Iconic is an over-used word, but the styling of
the Triumph Thunderbird definitely is so.

If I could have taken home one vehicle....
Beautiful late thirties Lagonda 4 and a half
litre.

Cute late thirties Morris 8.

Guzzi engined Triking.

Lovely Bedford van.

A rare sight. Reliant Ant three-wheeled truck.