MANX NORTON UNDER THE HAMMER
14 October 2006 - Brightwells

There was a packed crowd at Brightwells'' Classic Vehicle Auction in Leominster on Wednesday 4th October as around 500 people crammed into the saleroom to see 93 cars and 30 bikes come under the hammer.

Undoubted star of the bike sale was the 1958 Manx Norton 500, a highly original and unrestored machine which had raced at the Isle of Man on several occasions in the mid- to late-1960s but whose early history was unknown, said James Dennison of Brightwells. Estimated at 12,000 - 15,000 it had created a storm of pre-sale interest and bidding in the saleroom quickly soared to 17,000.

However, just when it seemed that the Manx had peaked, it somehow found another gear as two phone bidders thrashed it down the finishing straight before sending it hurtling across the line at an epic 19,000. With a buyer''s premium of 7.5% + VAT this represented a final price of 20,675 proving once again that these iconic big singles are still amongst the most desirable bikes on the planet.

Given that another auction house sold an immaculately restored, matching numbers, ex-John Surtees 350cc Manx for a world record 24,750 at a sale in June, this represents an outstanding result for Brightwells as our bike had a largely unknown provenance, no frame number and was in need of substantial restoration, said Dennison. It''s also great news for anyone lucky enough to have an old Manx slumbering in their shed. It might be a good idea to go and dust it down and up the insurance cover!

To see the full sale results go to www.brightwells.com or phone Brightwells on 01568 611122. Their next bike sale is on March 21st and entries are now invited ? especially Manx Nortons!?

www.brightwells.com

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