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Championship-winning racers, legendary collections, iconic British marques and more than 200 exceptional motorcycles head to Stafford
Staffordshire County Showground | 11 October 2026
Bonhams Motorcycles is delighted to present The Autumn Stafford Sale, the official auction of The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, taking place on 11 October 2026 at the Staffordshire County Showground. Featuring 207 lots ranging from pioneering veteran motorcycles and British classics to championship-winning racing machines and modern collectables, the sale offers one of the most diverse catalogues ever assembled at Stafford.
This year’s auction is distinguished not only by the quality and rarity of the motorcycles on offer, but also by the remarkable stories, achievements and personalities behind many of them. Several significant single-owner collections will cross the block, representing the lives, achievements and passions of some of motorcycling and motorsport’s most respected names.
At the centre of the sale is The Johnny Cecotto Collection, offering motorcycles from the ownership of the Venezuelan racing legend who became the youngest-ever 350cc Grand Prix World Champion before forging a successful career in Formula One, DTM and endurance racing. The collection is led by one of the most important racing motorcycles to come to auction in recent years: Cecotto’s own 1978 Formula 750 World Championship-winning Yamaha OW31 works racer, estimated at £220,000-300,000. Remaining in Cecotto’s ownership since his racing career, the machine carried him to the 1978 Formula 750 World Championship, delivering victories at Imola and the prestigious Coppa delle Nazioni.
The auction will also feature motorcycles from The John Surtees Family Collection, a fitting tribute to the only individual in history to become World Champion on both two and four wheels. John Surtees remains one of the greatest competitors motorsport has ever produced, winning seven motorcycle world championships before capturing the 1964 Formula One World Championship with Ferrari. The collection includes motorcycles owned, ridden and cherished by Surtees and his family, reflecting both his extraordinary racing career and lifelong passion for motorcycling. Highlights include a 1949 Vincent Black Shadow Series-C, estimated at £45,000-65,000, and a rare Petty Manx racing motorcycle, estimated at £15,000-20,000.
Another particularly poignant offering is The Michael (“Mick”) Brough Collection. Assembled by the late Michael Brough, a passionate enthusiast who was deeply respected within the classic motorcycle community, the collection reflects a lifetime dedicated to historic motorcycles, motorsport and restoration. Following his passing in 2026, the collection offers enthusiasts the opportunity to become custodians of a remarkable group of motorcycles assembled through decades of dedication, expertise and enthusiasm – from Brough Superiors and vintage racers to unique specials and classic sporting machinery.
The sale is further enhanced by The Andrew Tillman Collection, featuring notable Vincent-HRD motorcycles, including a rare 1937 Vincent-HRD Series A Comet, as well as an extraordinary group of highly desirable British classics. Meanwhile, The Balderston Collection presents a distinguished selection of vintage racing and collector motorcycles assembled over decades by the respected Peterborough dealer and enthusiast.
A major attraction is The Connoisseurs’ Collection, Part IV, offered entirely without reserve. This remarkable single-owner collection charts Yamaha’s evolution from its earliest production motorcycles through to its Grand Prix and endurance-racing legends, creating opportunities for collectors at every level while showcasing the extraordinary breadth of Yamaha’s motorcycling heritage.
Further enhancing the collection is the ex-Steve McQueen 1972 Husqvarna 250cc Motocrosser, an unrestored and highly evocative machine linked to McQueen’s Solar Productions organisation and the golden era of American motocross, making it a particularly compelling lot for collectors of significant off-road motorcycles and motorsport-related provenance.
Few names carry greater resonance among collectors than Brough Superior, and the magnificent 1930 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sports, carrying an estimate of £160,000-220,000 is one of just 21 JAP-engined examples produced in 1930, embodying the performance, engineering quality and exclusivity that earned Brough Superior its reputation as the “Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles.” Such motorcycles seldom reach the open market, making this a truly unmissable opportunity.
The sale includes a host of exclusive Italian masterpieces, including examples from the stables of Ducati, Mv Agusta, Moto Guzzi, Benelli and beyond. The beautifully preserved 1973 MV Agusta 750S, estimated at £70,000-80,000, supplied new by legendary dealer Gus Kuhn and showing only 5,814 miles from new is considered one of the finest examples of MV Agusta’s iconic road-going four-cylinder superbike.
Joining it is a highly desirable Gilera 500cc Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle Recreation by Kay Engineering, estimated at £45,000-65,000. Built to an exceptionally high specification and signed by multiple World Champion Geoff Duke, it celebrates one of Grand Prix racing’s most celebrated eras.
Beyond these headline lots, the catalogue offers an extraordinary range of collectors motorcycles, from legendary British marques including Vincent, Brough Superior, Velocette, Norton and Sunbeam, to Italian masterpieces from Ducati, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta and Benelli, alongside highly desirable Japanese superbikes and modern classics.
The auction also features the unique ‘Dark Rider – Year of Shadow’ 2000 Bourget 1,750cc Custom, offered in support of the Luca Guintoli Foundation. Inspired by Sega’s Year of Shadow campaign and created as a one-off custom motorcycle, the machine is being sold to benefit the charity established by Sylvain Guintoli, former World Superbike Champion and MotoGP broadcaster, and his wife Caroline in memory of their son, Luca Guintoli. Following Luca’s tragic passing at the age of six after a battle with cancer, the foundation was created to provide financial assistance, practical support and guidance to children and families affected by childhood cancer and autism.
James Stensel, Head of Department, Bonhams Motorcycles, said:
“The Autumn Stafford Sale celebrates the passion, history and people that make motorcycling so special. Every motorcycle in the catalogue has a story to tell, and we are privileged to help preserve and share those stories with collectors and enthusiasts around the world.
The Motorcycle Team are exceptionally proud to bring together motorcycles associated with legendary names such as Johnny Cecotto and John Surtees alongside important private collections built through decades of passion and expertise. From world championship-winning race bikes and historically significant British heavyweight twins to accessible rider machines, this sale truly offers something for every collector.”
With more than 200 lots spanning over a century of motorcycling history, the Autumn Stafford Sale reinforces Bonhams’ reputation as the UK’s leading motorcycle auction house and Stafford as a premier destination for motorcycle collectors and enthusiasts.
The Autumn Stafford Sale
The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show
Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford
11 October 2026
207 Lots
Bidder registration now open: www.bonhams.com/32043
