There’s an incredible selection of motorcycles coming up for auction at Bonhams Auctions’ inaugural Barber Museum Sale during the Barber Vintage Festival this year, including a Vincent Black Lightning and an equally rare 1928 Windhoff four-cylinder oil-cooled Art Deco masterpiece.  The auction is undoubtedly a testing of the waters, to see if the Barber Festival attracts the kind of crowd that can support a first-rate auction, and while the event is small compared to the mega-weekend at Las Vegas in January, there are some real gems on offer.

Bauhaus for your house?  This amazing BMW poster from c.1925 is pure 1920s graphic design, and as such will command a very high price ($6k estimate).  It’s an amazing and ultra-rare piece of ephemera from BMW’s earliest racing period, a mere 3 years or so after the company was founded – the bike is an R37 or R47.  [Bonhams]
It’s nice to see a healthy selection of automobilia at Barber, as…sometimes you don’t need another motorcycle, but can justify a cool, rare poster…ask me how I know. The emphasis this year is on Daytona and BMW-related posters, postcards, medals, etc, which seem to be from one collection (likely Florida?). Definitely check out the posters!

Cheeky fun! This 1952 Cushman Model 62 ‘Turtleback’ Scooter is original paint, and pretty awesome as is! [Bonahms]
The quirky selection of motorcycles starts with this great little Cushman scooter in original, cheeky paint.  As shop or pit bikes go, this one’s about perfect.  There are of course several major machines coming up though, including Erik Buell’s first production motorcycle (a two-stroke four-cylinder racer), Steve McQueen’s documented real ‘On Any Sunday’ Husqvarna, a stunning 1936 Brough Superior SS80, and terrific 1928 Windhoff four-cylinder oil-cooled masterpiece, and of course, the second-built Vincent Black Lightning with full provenance from new.

The very 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross ridden by Steve McQueen in the final, memorable sequence of ‘On Any Sunday’.  For provenance, this is about as cool as it gets [Bonhams]
An award-winning concours restoration of a 1936 Brough Superior SS80. What’s it like to ride one? Read our Road Test of an SS80 here!
An absolute knockout! Read our Road Test of a Windhoff here – if you’re looking for rare, technically advanced, and visually distinctive, here’s your huckleberry – a 1928 Windhoff Four! [Bonhams]
This 1949 Vincent Black Lightning is the real, matching-numbers deal! It was raced by Hans Starkl in Switzerland, and has full history from new. It’s the second Black Lightning built! What’s it like to ride one?  Check out our Road Test of a Vincent Black Lightning here!  [Bonahms]
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