23rd Oct, 2012 15:00

Imperial War Museum Duxford

 
Lot 39
 

1922 Brough Superior SS80 'Old Bill'

Sold for £292,500

(including buyers premium)


Lot details
Registration No: FR 3925
Frame No: N/A
Engine No: KTRE9069
cc: 980
MOT Expiry Date: None

The motorcycle was built in 1922 by the Brough factory for the personal use of George Brough, founder of Brough Superior Motorcycles. Featuring a 1000cc side valve 'V' twin engine it was first used at Brooklands in 1922 and nicknamed 'Spit and Polish' due to it's immaculate appearance. It was at this event that George Brough won the 5 lap expert's race, his first win. Later that day George crashed due to a burst front tyre and promised his family on leaving hospital that he would not race again. Afterwards he argued that sprinting and hill climbing was not racing and the damaged bike was rebuilt as a sprint machine using special forks and a prototype engine specially developed at the JAP factory.
The machine was re-named 'Old Bill' by George himself after Bruce Barnsfather's cartoon character from World War One. The bike with George in the saddle won 51 sprint events in 1922/3 and in the 52nd at Clipstone in Nottinghamshire both bike and rider crossed the finish line making fastest time of the day but they were not together. Due to yet another burst tyre at more than 90mph George again crashed and suffered severe injuries which kept him in hospital for many weeks. During this time 'Old Bill' was repaired, converted to road trim and sold to help pay the wages whilst George recovered.
The bike was used on the road by one or two owners until World War Two when it suffered some damage again in London during the Blitz. A cast iron bath fell through the ceiling where it was stored and damaged the petrol tank. It was then taken to a safer place for storage until being offered in the late fifties to "Titch" Allen, founder of the VMCC and a well known Brough enthusiast. With the help of George Brough and the original engineer Ike Webb the bike was restored to its 1923 condition. It was running well again by 1959 when at a historic and touching occasion George Brough rode it on the actual piece of road where they had parted company 36 years before, this time he crossed the finishing line still on the bike. Since then 'Titch demonstrated the bike at the Brighton Speed Trial and Brooklands before passing it on to his son Roger in 1988.
Roger, chairman of the racing section of the VMCC and a very accomplished vintage bike racer fitted a sidecar to 'Old Bill' for the occasional sprint event with his wife Sue as the passenger. Back again as a solo Roger raced the bike in the classic Isle of Man TT races in 1991. This was the first time a Brough motorcycle had competed in the Isle of Man. Sadly Roger lost his life whilst competing in the Isle of Man on a Triumph machine in 1992 and his collection including 'Old Bill' passed on to his wife.
The motorcycle has been on display since that time in the Nottingham Industrial Museum. It is offered with correspondence from Titch Allen in which he describes his discovery of "Old Bill" and the subsequent rebuild, outlining the assistance received by Ike Webb. A Swansea V5 and a buff log book recording Harold Garland, the owner prior to Titch Allen, as the keeper in 1934 together with a set of mudguards are supplied with this incredibly historic motorcycle.
 

All successful bids must be paid in full by midday the day after the auction at the latest.

You can collect your new pride and joy from our venue until 1pm the day following the sale or our partners are on hand to help arrange safe transportation:

               

Auction: Imperial War Museum Duxford, 23rd Oct, 2012

View all lots in this sale

Do you have an item to sell?

If so, contact one of our friendly specialists for your free valuation by completing the form below and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you prefer to speak to humans, don't hesitate to call our office on +44 (0)1925 210035

Contact Us Today!

 

Images

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


Turning the Page: A New Chapter for H&H Classics
Goon, Goon, Gone: Unique Peter Sellers 1960 Bentley heads to auction
Eclectic 150-plus classic car auction helps round out H&H’s milestone 30th year celebrations
One of the UK’s best driving Aston Martin DB5s heads to auction
Mid-century sports car icons race to Buxton auction
Former front cover ‘star’ heads to auction
Classic British motorcycles shine as 230 lots head to the National Motorcycle Museum auction
Racing legend Patsy Burt's Jaguar XK120 speeds to Buxton auction
22-strong single owner classic motorcycle collection heads to auction
Norton's racing heritage set to ignite the auction stage
Rare Frazer-Nash BMW with rich racing history to be auctioned
“The Rolls-Royce” of the motorcycle world, heads to      auction
Martini inspired Porsche 911 ‘RSR’ Tribute to head under the hammer
Rare ‘Car on Two Wheels’ heads to auction for the first time in 30 years
More than 100 classics sold in H&H’s 30th anniversary sale
Stunning classics worth more than £9 million offered in 30th anniversary auction
Rare Aston Martin DB1 heads to anniversary auction from long-term ownership
Rare Bentleys to star in 30th celebration auction
H&H Classics 30th Anniversary Auction
H&H unveils details of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Classic car owners handed ULEZ lifeline
H&H Classics auction Hurricane X-75 Prototype to National Motorcycle Museum
Vintage and modern classics lead the way at latest H&H sale
H&H offers exceptional range of vehicles spanning 11 individual decades
Pavilion Gardens. Wednesday 26th July 2023
A whimsical blast from the past: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang recreation heads to auction
From Italy with love: auction showcasing the essence of Italian design and sprezzatura
250 Motorcycles & Vintage Scooters Set To Go Under The Hammer!
March of the Mods: Lambretta owned by Paul Weller heads to auction
Lawbreakers to law enforcers: historic scooters with infamous connections up for sale
Jaguar SS100 among £2¼  million worth of classics sold at the Imperial War Museum
British classics to shine at H&H Classics’ sale
Historic Guinness Collection heads to auction
Browse The Catalogue Now! 135 Classic & Performance Cars To Go Under The Hammer.
Robbie Savage’s Ferrari F430 to be sold at H&H Classics
RAC Rally winning ‘Jaguar’ to be sold at auction
Former MP’s Bentley and Facel Vega ‘garage find’ among £1.3m worth of classics hammered away by H&H
Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Auction Preview Video
Genuine ‘matching numbers’ 1967 Shelby GT500 Fastback among 89 strong classic car auction
Rare Facel Vega ‘garage find’ heads to auction
Indian 4 and Lambretta DL200
Golden opportunity to acquire famous limited edition Italjet scooter
H&H Classics commences landmark year with sale of 121 cars
‘Brand new’ Porsche 911 heading to auction after 21 years
Brooklands race winning Bentley to go under the hammer
Actor, Sir Michael Caine’s first car, heads to auction. £100,000 - £150,000
A Very Rare Survivor. A 1936 Indian Four. £50,000 - £60,000
A Car that will Unite Romantics and Cynics Alike. A 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Limousine