Mike’s Bike On Start Line At Bonhams – Hailwood’s 1960 Grand Prix Ducati In Bumper Stafford Sale.

A rare 1960 Ducati works racing motorcycle – newly identified as the actual motorcycle campaigned by future Motorcycling World Champion Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood, is one of the stars of Bonhams’ bumper Spring Stafford Sale on 22-23 April.

The 1960 Ducati 125cc Desmodromic ‘Barcone’ Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle, estimate £95,000-120,000, was one of only four such machines produced for that year’s racing season. The quartet featured the final evolution of chief engineer Fabio Taglioni’s famous desmodronic (positive closure) valve technology introduced in the late 1950s. The resulting higher revs and increased power afforded many victories in period for the Mercedes-Benz’s successful racing SLRs and for Ducati, which still uses the system today.

This machine, the very first Barcone single ‘D1’, was acquired direct from the Ducati factory by Mike’s father, Stan, who was then Ducati’s distributor in the UK. The Barcone, or Barge, was distinguished by a boat-like crankcase with a narrow, finless sump and an integral six-speed gearbox, the cylinder still inclined forward. Hailwood’s Écurie Sportive team installed a taller fuel tank and thickly padded seat, and he immediately won nine 125 races with the bike, with further victories later in the season, including at Oulton Park, becoming winner of that year’s British 125cc Championship.

After Mike had signed with Honda, the Ducati was sold in 1961 and passed through various well-known collectors until acquired in the 1980s by the late Captain Ivan Forshaw, the renowned Lagonda and Aston Martin specialist. Also a motorcycle enthusiast, Captain Forshaw and his son Richard amassed the collection of British speedway motorcycles sold by Bonhams last year.

The Ducati was bought as a works racing motorcycle, but its full provenance was unknown until it was recently identified as Mike Hailwood’s machine by Ducati authority Ian Falloon. It is offered in ‘as found’ condition.

Ben Walker, Global Head of Bonhams Motorcycles, said: “This extraordinary discovery is fantastic news. The Ducati offers its successful buyer the unrepeatable opportunity to carefully preserve and conserve a significant piece of the legendary Mike Hailwood’s history.”

The Ducati will take its place on the Bonhams start line at Stafford with a host of racing motorcycles, ridden by some of the most respected riders, from every era and a range of disciplines, including:

The ex-Jim Redman MBE, works, 1963 Honda 247cc CR72 Racing Motorcycle, estimate £120,000-150,000. Ridden throughout Rhodesia in the 1960s by six-times world Champion Jim Redman along with fellow countryman and Grand Prix racer Bruce Beale, it has more recently been campaigned by him in classic events including Imatra and Essen, following a comprehensive 30-year restoration. Accompanied by a letter of confirmation from Jim Redman.

The ex-Peter Hickman, FHO Racing, Isle of Man Superbike TT and Senior TT-winning, 2022 BMW M1000RR Superbike, estimate £80,000-100,000. Carrying Peter Hickman to victory in last year’s Isle of Man Superbike and Senior TT Race, this is the first reigning Isle of Man TT Champion motorcycle to cross an auction block. The motorcycle is offered exactly as it crossed the finish line of the world’s largest road race finale, the blue riband Senior TT, complete with its original race winning fairing, speckled with flies from the gruelling 228-mile race.

The Dave Degens Collection

Endurance racer and leading bespoke motorcycle builder, Dave Degens is credited with popularising the Triton Triumph/Norton hybrid of the 1960s, building his own versions under the name Dresda. This collection of 11 motorcycles is led by the 1965 Barcelona 24 Hours-winning, 1965 Dresda Triton 650cc Racing Motorcycle, £20,000 – £30,000. Hand-built by Dave, it was raced to victory by him and Rex Butcher in the 1965 endurance race, against the combined might of the rival factory teams and is considered as the machine that started the Dresda legend.

Bumper Stafford Sale

The Bonhams sale offers more than 330 motorcycles spanning all eras – and all budgets – from the pre-1915 pioneer and pre-1931 Vintage periods to modern Italian exotica and cutting-edge Japanese machines, representing the A-Z of motorcycling.

The two-day sale, this year’s largest UK motorcycle auction, has its traditional slot at The International Classic MotorCycle Show in Stafford, with the schedule as follows:

Saturday

11:00 117 lots of spares and memorabilia including the Ernie Knott Trophy Collection.

14:00 – circa 80 collectors’ motorcycles

Sunday

10:00 – circa 250+ motorcycles 

The full catalogue will be online on 3 April and can be previewed here:

Bonhams : The Spring Stafford Sale – The International Classic MotorCycle Show.

Contact the Bonhams Motorcycles team  for further information or to register to bid:  ukmotorcycles@bonhams.com – +44 (0) 20 8963 2817 or visit bonhams.com/motorcycles.

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