Mecum and MidAmerica Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction
A total of 537 motorcycles went on the block last weekend at the 23rd annual MidAmerica Las Vegas Vintage Motorcycle Auction hosted by Mecum Auctions.
With 441 motorcycles sold, the sell-through rate was 82 percent. This created the highest crossing auction ever on record, with $7,475,155 worth of motorcycles sold.
As auction headliner, The George Pardos Collection – dubbed “The Evolution of the Harley-Davidson” – saw 18 of the 20 motorcycles hammer sold with five of them landing in the top 10 sales.
Pardos’ 1911 Harley-Davidson 7D Twin (Lot 471) gaveled at $260,000 claiming its predicted spot as the highest dollar sale of the three-day auction. His 1936 Harley-Davidson EL “Knucklehead” (Lot 483) came in as the third top sale with an unprecedented $165,000 hammer price.
Other significant sales from The Pardos Collection included his 1914 Harley-Davidson 10F Twin (Lot 474) which sold for $105,000 as well as his 1928 JDH Twin (Lot 480) and 1915 11F Twin (Lot 475) which sold for $100,000 and $91,000, respectively.
The auctions’ second highest sale went to a 1925 BMW R37 racer (Lot 436) that grabbed a $200,000 bid as one of the rarest BMW Production Racing bikes in existence. The top 10 was further rounded out with two significant sales of British makes that took their places in the lineup with a 1955 Vincent Black Prince (Lot 499) that hammered at a healthy $125,000 and a 1972 Triumph/BSA TRX 7502 (Lot 491) that brought $97,000.
The complete top 10 sales list from the Las Vegas auction includes (all individual sales reflect hammer prices):
1. 1911 Harley-Davidson 7D Twin (Lot 471) at $260,000
2. 1925 BMW R37 (Lot 436) at $200,000
3. 1936 Harley-Davidson EL (Lot 483) at $165,000
4. 1955 Vincent Black Prince (Lot 499) at $125,000
5. 1914 Harley-Davidson 10F Twin (Lot 474) at $105,000
6. 1928 Harley-Davidson JDH Twin (Lot 480) at $100,000
7. 1972 Triumph/BSA TRX 7502 (Lot 491) at $97,000
8. 1909 Harley-Davidson 5 C Single (Lot 187) at $95,000
9. 1938 Brough Superior SS80 (Lot 498) at $95,000
10. 1915 Harley-Davidson 11F Twin (Lot 475) at $91,000
The auction drew bidders and spectators from 48 states and more than 30 different countries to form the largest group of registered bidders and enthusiasts that the auction has seen in its 23-year run. The more than 1,100 registered bidders made for aggressive and exciting action on the auction floor and a very strong and diverse lineup exchanging hands.
For access to complete auction results and other member benefits, signup for the free InfoNet service offered at www.mecum.com. Mecum’s next antique motorcycle auction will be held April 13 at the The Reliant Center in Houston following the auction house’s April 10-12 collector car auction at the same venue.
The Houston auction will feature more than 100 motorcycles from the Mike Doyle Collection as part of a 200-bike lineup. Mecum’s Kissimmee, Fla., auction is next on the schedule set for this Jan. 17-26 and will feature 3,000 classic and collector vehicles and more than 3,000 items of Road Art and memorabilia. For more details on an upcoming auction, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder, visit www.mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050.
