1955 Vincent Black Prince Project Breaks Auction Record at Bonhams

1955 Vincent Black Prince

This past weekend at Bonham’s Summer Classic Sale of Motorcycles and Motorcars in Oxfordshire in the UK, sales achieved over $4 million – double it’s 2013 total.

In the motorcycle department, over 115 lots were sold totaling nearly $1.2 million. And the top seller was a 1955 Vincent Black Prince Project; the 998cc Black Prince project sold for over $153,000, almost four times from its estimate.

The Black Prince Project was the highest-selling motorcycle at the Summer Classic, and also broke the record for a Black Prince sold at auction.

Speaking of the bidding, Bonhams says “A 1955 Vincent 998cc Black Prince Project created a bidding frenzy, as two gentlemen on the phone battled for their most coveted item. Both bidders had a personal attachment to the bike; one having owned a Black Knight in his youth but always yearned for the superior Black Prince, the other (the eventual winner) sharing a birth year with the bike, and wanting to gift himself the Prince for his birthday.”

Also selling were the following:

• 1951 Vincent 998cc Black Shadow Project: over $90K
• 1951 Vincent 998cc Rapide Project: Over $47K
• 1952 Vincent 998cc Rapide Project: Over $38K
• 1928/31 Brough Superior Overhead 680: Over $56
• 1935 Brough Superior 1,096cc 11-50hp: Over $81K
• Original Rudge Multi: Over $44K
• Rudge Multi owned by King Onyeama of Eke, Nigeria: Over $8K

Ben Walker, Bonhams Director for Motorcycles, says: “This years sale was outstanding – an electric atmosphere, and delighted sellers and bidders. With a 93% sale achievement and 115 lots sold, it was certainly our best ‘Banbury Run’ motorcycle sale to date.

“With many exceptional models for sale – some of which haven’t been available for public sale in decades – we had bids coming in from all over the globe.”