SURTEES' AGUSTA FOR AUCTION:A vintage MV Agusta 500, owned by Grand Prix racing legend and Formula One driver John Surtees, is set to go under the hammer at the end of April.
A champion racer on both two and four wheels Surtees took MV Agusta to astounding victories in 1956 in the World Championships 500cc class and in, 1958, 1959 and 1960 in the 350 and 500cc classes. He won an impressive 32 out of 39 races and became the first man to win the Senior Isle of Man TT three years in succession.
The current owner bought this genuine, immaculately maintained machine directly from Surtees in 1996. "Since 1996, when it was acquired by the vendor, the 1104 has been fastidiously maintained," says the auctioneers, Bonhams.
The bike's frame number is 1104 and the engine number is four. "It maintains the specification employed by the MV Agusta factory team between 1957 and 1960, while the short-stroke engine is of the type used between 1954 and 1961. This machine is a fine example of the famous four-cylinder 'fire engines' which brought MV Augusta 139 victories and 16 world Championships in Grand Prix racing's premier 500cc class," according to Bonhams.
MV Agustas raced by the renowned Italian works team are among the rarest and most desirable racing motorcycles ever made. The owner kept the bike in full working order and documented its attendance at motorcycling events such as the Isle of Man TT Parade, Vallelunga, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival Meetings, Ulster Grand Prix, Beezumph Rally, Donington Park, Mallory Park and Dijon. The auction will take place at The International Classic Motorcycle Show in Stafford, England on April 29th, 2007 and is expected to fetch between £160,000 (€ 243,000) and £180,000 (€273,000).
BMW SALES INCREASE:
Sales of BMW motorcycles have rocketed in the past year. Worldwide BMW motorcycle sales for December were up 36.8 per cent over the same period the previous year, while annual sales topped 100,000 motorcycles. These figures are very high compared to previous year's sales. "In 1993 BMW sold 30,000 bikes per year so since then there's been a big push and the aim was to hit the target 100,000. I wouldn't be surprised if the long term goal is somewhere between 120,000 and 130,000 units," according to Conor McRory, BMW's motorcycle manager.
The R 1200 RT topped the list as the marque's overall best selling model. Editors of Motorcyclist Magazine also named it 'Best Touring Bike' in 2006 for the second year running.
Worldwide, the R 1200 GS model accounted for BMW's second highest volume and the F 650 GS was their third best-selling bike.
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