BROUGH SUPERIOR 'RETURN TO THE SALT' PREVIEW

Rider Eric Patterson aboard the 1150cc Brough Superior 'Roadrunner' with new, shapely streamlining, similar in feel to the 1930s Brough record-breaker 'Leaping Lena'

The Ace Café sponsored a preview party for Brough Superior's second Bonneville invasion at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA yesterday, bringing along the pair of salt flat racers they'll be campaigning.  Jay Leno hosted the event, and unveiled a surprise - a completely new all-carbon-fiber sports machine with a Brough Superior logo!  I'll get the full story on this machine, and BS Chief Mark Upham's intentions, when I head to Bonneville next week.

Here's Mark's note on last night's event: 

"Dear Paul,

 I am sorry you were not able to come across to the party; here are a few words and pictures.

The revamped Brough 1150 'Roadrunner', showing the minimal streamlining allowed for specific categories of record.

Mark McKee very kindly hosted the Ace Café/Brough Superior Party "Return to the Salt".

Unveiled was the redesigned and very radical streamlined Brough Superior  1150cc formally known as the Retro Brough, now renamed "The Roadrunner". This bike is campaigning for 4 class world titles at BUB 2013.

The 'Baby Pendine' Brough Superior, with a 750cc MkII engine

The second bike unveiled - formally known,as the 'Baby Pendine', is also fitted with a MKII engine but of only 750cc capacity. Due to its manorial type windshield, holding the coat of arms of the Brough family, it is been renamed "The Black Knight", and is campaigning for 2 categories of titles, two FIM and 4 AMA.

 

The previously unseen Brough Superior entry into Moto2 GP racing, built by John Keogh and Paul Taylor

The 3rd motorcycle unveiled, and a great shock for many there, was the extremely radical Moto2 carbon-fiber Brough Superior. This motorcycle has a full monocoque chassis, designed by John Keogh, and was engineered by Paul Taylor of Taylor Race Engineering, USA, specifically to race in the Moto2 GP Class, and will be entered in the GP series as a wild card in 2014.

The bike is tried and tested, it was seen at Goodwood [Festival of Speed] in demonstration runs, driven by Alan Cathcart. No one knew it was a Brough Superior, since until now it is only ever been raced and tested without any Brough Superior livery. The bike was unveiled by Jay Leno.

Thank you,

Mark Upham"


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'PENDINE' AT PENDINE

The Vintagent's very irregular correspondent Mike Jackson sends these notes regarding the inaugural Pendine Sands racing weekend last June:

The beautiful new Brough Superior SS101 Pendine

"The newly-formed Pendine Landspeed Racing Club (LRC) draws on the significant history of a very historic stretch of beach in Wales, the site of many World Speed Record attempts in the 1920s. The LRC held its inaugural Speed Trial on the weekend of June 21/23rd, and the revived Brough Superior was present to test its pair of Bonneville-bound racers; Brough Superior last used the sands for this purpose in 1928! 

Since Anthony Hopkins’ film The World's Fastest Indian, interest in Land Speed Record (LSR) racing has grown exponentially, and further increased in the UK due to BBC 2's show Speed Dreams; The Fastest Place on Earth, which showed five UK riders prepping for and racing at Bonneville, in August 2012. Among the racers featured in the series was John Renwick, the charismatic and intrepid pilot of a streamliner Vincent with 3 wheels; 6-meters long! It was exciting to see every ‘Speed Dreams’ crew entered at this inaugural event at Pendine, which one hopes will become annual. 

Henry Cole was filming for ITV and the Discovery Channel; he'll ride at Bonneville

In late 2012, Paul James descended on Pendine with a small group of LSR enthusiasts for a 2-day session of timed runs. The bureaucratic obstacles thrown in their way would fill volumes, but eventually 50 entrants arrived on Friday for scrutineering, with an eclectic selection of speed-tuned motorcycles and outright projectiles. Paul James hoped to make a symbolic Opening Run on Saturday morning at 8am, but the schedule was postponed repeatedly with high winds, lousy visibility, and rain. After calling a Rider's Meeting on the sand, the LRC announced that poor weather would confine the event to demonstration runs. That blustery 15 minute meeting was blessed with both rain and watery sunshine; when it’s wet, Pendine is a special kind of hell! 

Brough mechanic - and isn't that a rare job description - Sam Lovegrove

Most competitors managed two or more demonstration runs, including Eric Patterson, the popular Kempton Park Autojumble organizer, who rode a new Brough Superior ‘Pendine’ model, appropriately enough.  Brough Superior is planning its own assault on the Bonneville Salt Flats with two new Broughs, to be ridden by Patterson, Henry Cole, and Alan Cathcart. More details on the Brough Superior run of August 24-29 2013 can be found here."

Eric Patterson models his new Lewis Leathers 'Brough Superior' kit

The Team: Sam Lovegrove, Michael Jackson, Eric Patterson, and an Italian film director, Marco Superiori, shooting a documentary on English weather.

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BROUGH SUPERIOR BACK TO THE SALT

Brough Superior CEO Mark Upham at Bonneville in 2011, where the Brough reached a peak speed of 127.1mph

After a two-year hiatus spent developing a new race machine, Brough Superior returns to Bonneville for the BUB speed trials August 24-29.  Brough director Mark Upham is confident in their new attack on 10 World's Speed Records in their class, having started from a clean slate after their successful Bonneville runs in 2011, and will return with TWO Brough Superior 'SS101's for speed record work.  Pictured below is 'the second machine being road-tested, after the 5th dyno test.  We are more than happy with the results.'  

The keen-eyed will spot a twin-carb and twin-magneto setup on the new Brough Superior Bonneville racer, plus a Pendine-style fuel tank (with metal straps), and a JTOR-style engine with enclosed rockers.  The 'Castle' forks have been reinforced, and gone are the distinctive air scoops from the 2011 machine. Whether this machine is as-yet unpainted, or will be nickel plated as per the 'Works Scrapper' remains to be seen...

This is the first photograph yet released of the new Brough Superior record-breaker; Mark Upham promises "Better pictures will be available in August.  You have the first one - no one has this picture yet."  Upham continues, "We are going back to run for 10 world records this year; ITV will make four one-hour films about Brough Superior and the Bonneville challenge.  There will also be, Henry Cole will also film for the Motorbike Show and The Discovery channel.  Our rider's this year are Eric Patterson, Alan Cathcart and Henry Cole."

Brough Superior goes back to the Bonneville Salt Flats from Revival Cycles on Vimeo.

The Vintagent will be at Bonneville this August to document the action!

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'TOP 20' MAKES ROOM FOR TWO MORE...

My 'Top 20 Motorcycle Prices at Auction' webpage has been updated; the recent HandH sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England, on April 13th brought two heavy-hitter motorcycles to the auction block; a 1948 Vincent-HRD 'Black Lighting', and a very rare 4-cylinder Brough Superior from 1932.

This 1932 Brough Superior 'BS4' with watercooled Austin 7 motor and twin rear wheels sold for £266,500 ($377,950)

The infamous 'three wheel Brough' is one of 10 produced, and this particular example is well known in the Brough Superior world, having been in Frank Solano's possession for many years.  While the watercooled Austin-engined motorcycle was intended for sidecar work, it was perfectly possible to ride the machine solo, which was Solano's preference.  He delighted in demonstrating the odd handling of the non-differential twin rear wheels - which means one of the rear wheels was usually airborne; a disconcerting feeling, as I found when he offered a ride many years ago, but the handling was perfectly safe.  Click here for The Vintagent's 2009 road test of this model.

The 1948 Vincent Black Lighting needs no introduction - one of the most sought-after motorcycles, with the most recognizable name of all.  Discovered in Argentina, it has been rebuilt to 'as new' spec.

The 1948 Vincent-HRD Lighting was found in a highly modified form in Argentina, and was brought back to 'as new' condition from a derelict state, and the oil tank/frame is from a Black Shadow.  The Vincent Owner's Club gave its blessing to the machine though, stating in effect, 'a Lightning is all about the engine', and the engine on this machine is the genuine article. Click here for The Vintagent's road test of this model.

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PROUVE, ENNUI, AND THE PROBLEM OF CASH

[Note:  I now write a monthly column for the revamped Classic Bike Guide, which is a Morton's Media publication.  New Editor Gary Pinchin was my 'connection' at MCN for years, and has moved into the world of Classics, where he belongs.  Check out the new magazine; here's my inaugural column from from Feb.2013]

Not Yves' house, but an example of a Jean Prouvé table being used at home...

I have a friend in Paris – Yves - with a lovely Jean Prouvé dining table he found cheap at the flea market (les Puces!) years ago, when Prouvé was iconic to connoisseurs, but not especially valuable. That changed; Prouvé is dead, his work is brilliant, and greed-panic is symptomatic of our 21st Century consciousness, so Yves’ dining table is worth well north of a Million, in whatever currency you care to calculate.  Yet he still uses that table, every day.

Not Susan's 18th Century folk art/modernist chest, but an example of the coveted genre

Susan has an unusual old chest (slap your wayward mind!), painted with a strange mashup of 18^th Century American folk art collided with 60s Pop Art patterns. The piece is insanely cool, and when it was appraised for insurance recently, it too rung the carnival bell above 7 figures.  Susan is no fool, and knew the thing was rare, but she likes it where it sits, holding the guest linens, and has sensibly decided to carry on using a family heirloom, which she’ll pass on to her children.  Her attitude is completely at odds with the ‘Roadshow/Pickers’ mindset, the modern game shows where 'Box #3' is your own damn garage. Susan is a responsible steward of the antique in question, just as were the past 15 generations of its owners.

The 1935 Koehler-Escoffier 'Monneret' pictured at the Vintage Revival Montlhéry event in Apr.2013; a unique machine with incredible history, owned by the Musée Mallartre in Lyon, France, the machine is kept in running condition and taken regularly to events.  Stewardship at its best.

‘Stewardship’ is a word tossed around Christian think-tanks and techno-hippie chat rooms, but rarely mentioned over the oil-stained concrete on which our old motorbikes typically rest.  But the term is cropping up at bike shows, in specialist media (Classic Bike Guide, Oily Rag, The Vintagent), and even at auctions, as motorcycle collecting - for many decades the purview of eccentric obsessives – slouches inexorably toward the Mainstream.  A very uncomfortable shift for some, especially the Volunteers, who created a network of old bike enthusiasts, and obsessively searched the countryside for motorbikes, hoarding parts and machines beyond the point of rationality, at a time when bikes were worth sod-all.

c.1929 Brough Superior SS100 at an English rally in the late 1970s, when such a machine could be purchased for £1500. People complained of the high and rising prices for old bikes even then!

They may have had larcenous hearts, greedily selling an SS100 for £15 back in 1949, but we laugh at their naivéte, just as our kids will laugh at us in 20 years when that same Brough tops £1M. Let us praise the Volunteers, whether their pants are secured by rope or alligator belts – I’ve met them all, and they share a common heart of gold, at least for motorcycles; they may well dislike You, as competition! While an imperfect lot, they’ve done their best to keep motorcycles out of the scrap-merchant’s destroying clutches, when they were basically worthless.

Looking at 1960s private adverts can be a painful experience!

Rising values, a dearth of really good unrestored machines, and a growing consciousness of the beauty of an ‘Oily Rag’ original finish, have all fertilized the understanding of Stewardship in the bike world.  For whatever reason, the Magpies – hoarders of shiny things – still dominate the Automotive collecting world, which has everything to do with the Car’s social function as self-perceived penis enlarger. Strange, given that a passing Ferrari is more likely to elicit sins of covetousness and avarice, but not envy of the owner, in whom we see said member, actual size.

A dirty old motorcycle is rarely the answer to a midlife crisis...

Motorbikes can make us feel superhuman (a necessary illusion perhaps, given their danger), and we feel pride while riding, yet we’re also aware the general population greets us with open indifference, or at worst, complete invisibility. With motorcycles Out as a symbol of social status, what’s left is a cadre of enthusiasts willing – to put it bluntly – to risk life and limb for the sheer pleasure of two-wheeling. That’s a different sort of passion than the standard Collector’s obsessions; those motivations are present too, but it’s a richer mix with bikers, who were generally seen as cranks until the 'Art of the Motorcycle' exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. That’s probably why we’re far ahead of our four-wheeled brethren in the Stewardship stakes.

A tale of two Pierces; unrestored at left (sold for over $110k), restored at right (did not meet $42k reserve)

The trend at auction houses is clear; we are increasingly demanding machines bearing their original manufacturer’s paint job. A case in point; two identical ca.1910 Pierce single-cylinder motorcycles went for auction in Las Vegas last January, one dans son jus, the other restored, which failed to meet its $42,000 reserve. The heavily patinated Pierce, by contrast, fetched over $110,000. What Susan and Yves and the new 1910 Pierce owner understand is that the real treasure is not from the restorer’s hands, but from the maker’s workshop, unmolested. In this, they are in accord with art and furniture collectors, who are a century or two ahead of us in this game.

'Super Kim', probably the only unrestored / running 1920s supercharged record-breaker, built from Zenith chassis, Brough Pendine engine, Amilcar supercharger, and well-engineered adaptations from Argentina, ca.1930.  A famous machine which took many South American speed records, and certainly worth 7 figures these days.  Carefully preserved/maintained with actual rideability the goal; hence this test ride shot at Montlhéry in 2011.  An excellent example of Stewardship.

The reluctance of some motorcyclists to actually Use their treasures, as our examples above continue to do, is, one hopes, merely a symptom of a sudden rise in prices. We haven’t gained proper ennui at all this money talk, which is horrifically boring. After all, we’re in this game to Ride; if we wanted to throw money around, we’d have become bankers or rappers. But you can’t ride a pile of cash down the road, and a MacEvoy Anzani 8-valve shares the greatest thing with a Honda CB72 – they’re both really fun.

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'OLD BILL'

'Old Bill' as she sits today

HandH Classics in England have secured the rights to sell 'Old Bill', the second most famous Brough Superior of all (the first being, of course, the bike on which TE Lawrence was killed).

Before we go on, a correction; their press release claims HandH Classics have sold the most expensive motorcycle at auction, which is simply not true by any calculus. That spot goes to MidAmerica Auctions, whose sale of a Cyclone in July 2008 hit $551,200; as the English Pound has never achieved a 2:1 ratio with the US Dollar, the £280,000 ($465,350 on the day) sale of a Brough SS100 in 2011 is hardly the greater sum. Let's get the facts straight, HandH; to keep abreast of the most expensive bikes sold at auction, follow my 'Top 20' here.

George Brough on 'Spit and Polish' with 'KTC' JAP engine, Druid forks, and 'dummy rim' brakes fore and aft.  1922

Back to the story!  'Old Bill' started life as 'Spit and Polish' (vernacular from the military 'spit shine' on boots), a specially built Brooklands racer noted for its ultra-clean appearance, starting a trend (Bill Lacey usurped George Brough's spot for the cleanest racers, with his entirely nickel-plated, immaculate machines).  While 'Spit and Polish' won success at the track with its specially tuned JAP 'KTC' 976cc sidevalve engine, from the talented hands of Bert LeVack (development engineer for JAP at the time, and rider of tremendous talent).  The bird really sang, though, when LeVack offered GB the prototype JAP 'KTR' racing sidevalve engine, which would become the basis for the Bough Superior 'SS80' model.  The crankshaft was radically lightened until a single 'spoke' connected the big end, mainshaft, and an outer flywheel rim, which gave the ultra-light machine the acceleration of a scalded cat.   The fully developed machine was reborn as a sprinter, and re-christened 'Old Bill', a character in Bruce Bairnsfather's WW1 comic book.

George Brough aboard the transformed 'Old Bill', and note the changes - new twin-camshaft KTR engine, a lower frame with extra struts, a drum front brake, and new Webb forks

While George Brough is best known as the manufacturer of Brough Superior motorcycles, and his prowess as a salesman and spinner of enduring ad copy has overshadowed his considerable skill as a rider.  Long before he built his own motorcycles (starting in 1919), George was winning trials and races on his father William Brough's machinery (Broughs, too, but not 'Superior'...although many consider his father's engineering superior to his son's, as he built his own engines - something George never did successfully).

A period postcard showing a young George Brough aboard a Brough motorcycle, after winning three London-Edinburgh trials in 1910-1912 (from the Brough Superior photo archives - worth a visit!)

'Old Bill' was George Brough's ultimate sprint weapon, and he bested the most famous sprinter of the day - George Dance on his Sunbeams - many times, winning 51 sprints in a row in 1922/23.  'Old Bill' crossed the finish line on race #52 in first as well, but George was elsewhere, busy scrubbing the flesh off his buttocks 100mph on gravel, 'Bill' having bucked him a few yards before the finish...an experience which ended his racing career, and meant several months of painful skin grafts in those pre-penicillin days...

Rider A.Greenwood aboard 'Old Bill' at the 1924 Doncaster Speed Trials

As the Brough Superior factory was hardly flush with cash, 'Old Bill' was stripped of its racing bits (ie, that crankshaft and those specially ported cylinders, plus the added frame struts), and rebuilt as a road bike...not exactly a 'race horse to cart horse' transformation, as it was still a Brough after all.  During WW2, the bike was damaged, but VMCC founder and arch BS enthusiast 'Titch' Allen purchased and restored the machine, with the help of GB himself and plant manager Ike Webb, to resemble its famous ca.1922 racing trim.  While GB gave up official motorcycle production during WW2 (he did assemble a few during the conflict, from leftover stock and bent machines) the precision engineering business he'd pursued during the War continued for many years, the business changing hands twice since then, first to the Card family, and now to the Mark Upham equipe, who are building brand new 'to 1927 spec' Brough Superior 'SS110's.

1962; the restored Brough, back to 'Old Bill' spec, with 'Titch' Allen aboard, George Brough behind  (smiling, with cap and goggles) and Ike Webb at far right

'Old Bill' passed from 'Titch' Allen to his son Roger, who sadly lost his life racing at the Isle of Man.  Roger's widow has displayed the machine at the Nottingham Industrial Museum since, and is now coming for auction on October 4th, at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, along with the rest of the Roger Allen collection.

George Brough in 1962 having one last 'go' on 'Old Bill' at the very Clipstone 'track' (really the driveway to a private estate, paved in gravel!) where he last raced the machine in 1923.

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BONHAMS' QUAIL EXTRAVAGANZA

The Motosacoche v-twin formerly owned by Bud Ekins, and restored by 'Von Dutch' (Kenny Howard) while he worked for Ekins.  Part of the 'Eddie Rickenbacker' collection at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale, August 16th

Pebble Beach Week is a financial powerhouse for US collector car auctions, as 4 big sales tease the wallets of well-heeled visitors from around the globe, each racking up mega-millions of dollars.  The inclusion of motorcycles is a recent phenomenon at this week-long party, where the very very rich mingle with impecunious gearheads, oohing and aahing over impossible arrays of glittering vehicles, on the grassy golf courses of the Quail Motorsports Gathering (Friday) and Pebble Beach (Sunday), the tarmac of the Monterey Jet Center (Wed night), or the race track at Laguna Seca (all week).  Smaller shows crop up all over the Carmel area for Italian cars, Lemons, one-make clubs, etc...plus invite-only events at the sumptuous part-time homes of a few 'local' billionaires, which have aspirational climbers greasing elbows and cozying up to the right people at cocktail parties, hoping for an invite.

One of THREE Crocker v-twins for sale at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale...

Motorcycles have always been part of Gordon McCall's Jet Center Party and Quail Motorsports Gathering, and were accepted on the lawn at Pebble Beach just 3 years ago.  Bonhams began adding a few bikes to their car sale at Quail Lodge, while MidAmerica has pitched a tent of motorcycles at the Pebble automobilia garden since bikes have been allowed on 17-Mile Drive (for the week only, mind you; the rest of the year they're verboten).  Mecum had what looked like a disastrous sale of motorcycles last year, but are back at it with the 71-MV Agusta collection of Gary Kohs, being sold as a single lot.

A genuine ex-works 'Rob North' framed factory BSA racer, one of 11 built, confirmed by Mr North himself

This year Bonhams is laying out an incredible spread of machines at the Quail Lodge on August 16th, worthy of, or even better than their top sale at Stafford, which has kept Bonhams at the #1 spot for many years. After recently announcing they'd secured the long-coveted 'Eddie Rickenbacker' collection of early machines, it became clear the Quail sale would be more than 'merely' a 3-Crocker affair.

How about a 1945 Kettenkrad?  Using a 1500cc Opel engine, they're simple to drive, with a 50mph top speed, capacity to climb 25degree hills with ease... and with rubber tracks, they are street legal in the USA! The possibilities are intriguing.  This example is in apparently original-paint condition, and in excellent mechanical shape.

To the Crockers and 'Rickenbackers', Bonhams has added plenty of other significant motorcycles, like a genuine ex-Works 'Rob North' BSA triple racer, a '37 Brough Superior SS100, 1952 Vincent Black Shadow, a 1928 Windhoff 4-cylinder, an ex-Otis Chandler 1920 'White Mars' A20, a barn-find 1910 Pierce 4 in incredible condition, even a 1945 Kettenkrad...all of which are expected to drift into 6-figure territory.  It will be an exciting sale to watch...check out the catalog here.

The 1920 Mars A20 was a sophisticated and expensive big twin, with a 956cc flat-twin engine made by Maybach.  

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CONCORSO DI MOTOCICLETTE, VILLA D'ESTE

V

To the victor go the laurels...

As we stood under an awning avoiding the rain, a rainbow emerged over Lago di Como late Sunday afternoon, while author and Concorso curator Stefan Knittel philosophized, "If you can't be happy on the shores of Lake Como, where will you be happy?" Could there be a more spectacular and genteel spot for a motorcycle show?  The business ran smoothly, spectators strolled between gorgeous vehicles, and the predicted rain waited until the crowds were gone, and washed away the oil drips.  By then, the motorcycles were safely tucked away in vans, or in one case, had already blasted over the Alps, en route home to Vienna, via whatever fantastic mountain roads a man with a prize-winning BSA Rocket 3 could hope to find.

Pushing the lovely 1921 Motosacoche 403 Supersport

While Knittel hand-picked the Moto Concorso lineup, the full weight of BMW supported the complicated interweaving of motorcycle and automobile events over 3 days; the ride- and drive-thrus on the roads skirting Lago di Como, over the gravel forecourt of the Villa d'Este, and across the genteel paths of verdant Villa Erba.  Of course, when playing with old vehicles, 'the unexpected' has the role of jester, such as the stalled Porsche 917 which, when push-started, blasted gravel from its fat racing slicks, or a rare speechless moment from emcee Simon Kidston, as the ex-Georg Meier supercharged BMW Rennsport roared across the Este Concorso podium, mid-stream a parade of burbling luxomobiles.  Unscripted?  And possibly the first time a motorcycle has ridden across that particular patch of real estate.  The man with the second-best job in the world, Sebastian, regularly bump-started '#47' for a tour of the grounds, awakening the assembled in their finery that, hallo, Here be Motorcycles!

Best in Show, the 1939 Gilera 'Rondine' supercharged 4-cylinder water-cooled racer

After the quiet success of the last year's inaugural Concorso di Motocicletti, BMW made a few changes for the second edition.  While the number of bikes (36) and the location (Villa Erba, a public park, next door to the swank Villa d'Este), were unchanged, and Saturday was still a day for the moto-Jury and the public to study the two-wheelers in relative quiet, the moto-prize-giving ceremony was moved to Sunday, when the entire cast of the Concorso di Eleganza sat parked on the lakefront lawns, while the public strolled amongst these Olympian marvels of four-wheeled financial and sculptural extravagance.  The change meant hugely increased numbers watching the Moto prize-giving, and gave the feeling of rousing success.

Hugo Wilson goofs aboard the 1960 Maserati 50/T2/SS moped with Allesandro Altinier...

Lakeside strollers witnessed a Saturday morning roar from twelve Concorso bikes, ridden a half-hour from Tremezzo to Cernobbio with police escort, at a healthy clip.  The origins of the Concours d'Elegance were as much about fashion as vehicles, and they combined nice cars - new cars - and outfits which complemented the lines and colors of the automobile.   Postwar, the cars got older, and the fashion aspect dimmed...still, several riders bowed to spirit of Elegance, and wrapped up in period gear, sweeping down the road as a complete picture of past glory.  More than one participant mentioned this short ride as the most fun aspect of the weekend, which says a lot about motorcyclists... even with fantastic surroundings, good friends, amazing bikes, and crowds of curious people, the fundamentally erotic experience of Riding is still the true appeal.

Lovely in blue; the 1957 Zundapp Citation, with Horex engine

This year my status was upgraded to a member of the Jury, assigned to parse 36 fantastic machines, potential show-winners all: I was happy assistant to three esteemed colleagues; Jury President Carlo Peretti, a man connected with century-old magazine MotoCiclismo since the age of 8, when his father printed the thing, and young Carlo organized the photographs, thus literally handling over 60 years of motorcycling history; Raffaele Zaccagnini is design director at Husqvarna (a BMW subgroup), and gave contemporary insight into historic design trends; Hugo Wilson is well known as the long-time editor of Classic Bike, the only magazine of which I own every single issue.

An array of BMW racers inside the display hall at Erba; this is the Butler and Smith R90S superbike

 The judging philosophy for our Concorso di Moto was simple; as each machine was either a prototype, in original paint, or a perfect restoration, the motorcycles would be assessed on their merits as designed objects, and how they best suited their category: Roaring 20s, Stylish 30s, Swinging 50s, Launch into the Future, and Racing through the Decades.  Finding common ground in most categories was simple, although in each case a jury member felt compelled to defend an otherwise discarded candidate (mine was the 'Buck Rogers' styling of the Mercury), and as the jurists approach these machines from different perspectives and backgrounds, there was something to learn as Raffaele discussed the proportion of masses on the Zundapp 4, or Carlo addressed the unacceptability to the Italian psyche of a moped vanquishing a big Ducati twin!

Hendrik von Kuenheim discusses the prototype BMW sports 6-cylinder...

All the bikes were familiar to me, although I'd never seen one machine in the metal before; the supercharged Gilera 'Rondine' (Swallow) dohc four-cylinder water-cooled racer, an object of personal fascination for decades. I've studied the blueprints and period photos, I've even written about its pioneering use of aluminum Borrani wheel rims; I know this bike as inside-out as possible, from a distance, and was deeply excited to see it wheeled onto the cruciform wooden show platform.  The Gilera didn't disappoint; it's a monumental expression of Italian genius, the motorcycle which set the sportbike pattern for the next 75 years.  That it was eventually judged 'Best in Show' was not guaranteed...but who could argue with the choice? And interestingly, the Gilera Rondine is owned by BMW rival Piaggio, who had entered it with their original 1946 Vespa prototype, plus a new 'concept' scooter design.  Thus, BMW awarded their highest show honour to a competitor, after displaying gems from the Piaggio museum.  The other amazing machines are photographed here for your enjoyment, each a strong contender for 'Best', and their lucky owners are to be applauded for carting them long distances for the benefit of us mere mortals.

Wonderful lineup of sports racers at Villa Erba on Sunday

The complicated organization of this large show of two- and four-wheelers, their support teams and handlers, the BMW staff, the entrants and guests, meant that, barring Sunday, the motorcyclists were segregated from the 'car people' this year, which begged the question; is there a cultural disconnect between Auto and Moto enthusiasts?  When questioned about dis-inclusion of the movie-star and prototype-unveiling cocktail party Friday evening, several moto-collectors mentioned feeling more comfortable amongst themselves, and had little investment in the sparkle and pageantry over at Villa d'Este.  As one who likes a little flash (plus champagne, hot actresses, and cool prototypes) I was surprised, and chewed these thoughts with my excellent multi-course Italian cuisine....what I would have loved is a compromise; invite the bikers to the cocktail party, then herd us off to our own dinner. Acknowledge that we're 'at the party', so to speak, even if we prefer to dine with fellow-sufferers of the moto-disease. As an inveterate optimist, I had hoped all the party guests would acknowledge our mutual gearheadedness, and sing Kumbayah while holding hands around a double-overhead camshaft supercharged racing engine.  The motorcyclists certainly did. 

Man and machine; the mechanic for this Porsche 917 gets down inside...

Prize-winning 1934 Zundapp K800 four cylinder (see my road test of a similar machine here)

Dapper gents from Top Gear Poland...

The Koehler-Escoffier 'Mandoline' Tourisme

Dapper young gent from a family of watchmakers in Milano...

Heinkel in the microcar display

Sebastian Gutsch of BMW Klassik, doing as he was wont to do, blasting #49 through the crowds at strategic times...

Concorso babes adding glamour to the little Vespa

No hassle, no hustle. 

The immaculate BSA Rocket 3 ridden from Vienna, and back

The Nembo 32, with inverted 3-cylinder engine; half a Porsche, kind of.

Outrageous custom-bodied Deco extravaganza Rolls...

Sneaking into the Concorso by Amphicar...

The second Ducati 750 GT off the production line...

The clay-model MV Agusta F3

A spectator's flathead HD outside Villa d'Este...

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, one of which just sold for $35M...

The Swiss Condor Super Sport TT of 1927, with Opel Motoclub behind, and further on, #32, the Nembo with inverted three-cylinder engine

Gentlemen of the jury; Hugo Wilson , Carlo Peretti, our moderator, Raffaele Zaccagnini, and Paul d'O

Hugo Wilson inspects the Mercury; a short rear link swingarm is hidden beneath all that aluminum...

It never got better than this for HD...a powerful and impressive machine at the cutting edge of technology in 1922

From whence Moto Guzzi took the name, 'Gamba Lungha'...

The owner of this Maico Taifun compared the aluminum fork casting to 'an elegant lady's neck'...

The beautiful 1935 Bianchi Frecchia Azzurra

Benito Battilani and his fantastic HD 8-valve racer, with a gearbox...they didn't come that way from the factory!

Henne's 'Egg', the supercharged BMW streamliner record-breaker

Stefan Friedl with his super-rare Zenith with flat-twin oil-cooled Bradshaw engine, which I had a chance to ride on the grounds Saturday; smooth.

The remarkable Mercury with disc-valve Scott engine

Class of 1954; Porsche 550 Spyder and Moretti 750 Grand Sport

The 1946 Vespa prototype

Mussolini's 1935 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300

Happily ever after?  Well, pretty close.

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