2014 Pebble Beach: Motorcycles sell at Monterey, too
The annual Monterey Car Week, which includes car races, car shows, car auctions, car parades and the ceremonial unveiling of new car models and new car concepts, also makes a little room for motorcyles.
At this year’s ongoing Pebble Beach-area auto extravaganza, a series of highly collectible motorcycles were sold at record prices, while another group of highly prized machines took honors at motorcycle beauty pageants.
Vintage Harley-Davidsons, Indians and Vincents were going for top dollar at a Thursday auction held by Mecum.
The top seller was a 1955 Vincent Series D Black Shadow, an English motorcycle from the last year in the company’s run. This “complete and original” version, an extremely clean example that has had only two owners in the last 40 years, saw aggressive bidding that drove the gavel down at $95,000.
But other brands were hot as well.
A flawless 1915 Indian board track racer went for $72,000. An immaculate 1923 Harley-Davidson Twin went for $65,000. A 1957 Matchless G80RR sold for $43,000.
“Prices are getting up there,” said Mecum’s Gavin Trippe, who was pleasantly surprised to see so many bikes selling so well at what is essentially a weeklong celebration of cars.
It might be that the relatively low prices -- on a day when a Ferrari GTO, at just over $34 million, became the most expensive car ever sold at public auction -- attract car buyers who find the top automobiles unattainable.
“For car guys, motorcycles don’t actually cost all that much, and they don’t take up that much room,” he said.
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