Brough sidecar outfit fetches top dollar as Ducati Grand Prix bikes fail to sell at Shuttleworth auction

A wide range of two- and three-wheeled motorcycling exotica has sold at this past weekend’s Shuttleworth Spring Motorcycle Sale with Iconic Auctioneers.

Taking place at the Bedfordshire venue on Sunday, April 7, a total of 170 lots went under the hammer – with everything from a pair of ex-factory Ducati MotoGP racers, to stunning low-mileage road bikes, and even a selection of vintage motorcycle and sidecar combinations.

Big sellers on the day included a 1939 990cc Brough Superior SS80 sidecar outfit, which went for £66,125. The wealthy winner also received a number of documents, including copies of its build sheet, a logbook from 1956, old MoT certificates and more.

A restored 1925 Indian Standard also went for £20,125, plus a series of more modern road bikes –  including a 4300-mile Aprilia RS250 two stroke from 2002 that went for £9200.  

“Over the last three years we have really established ourselves as the premier auctioneers for Ducati motorcycles, with numerous world records and some great catalogue selections, this has made us the first choice for serious collectors looking to sell or buy,” Iconic Auctioneers Motorcycle Manager, Mark Bryan said.

The auctioneering firm have sold over 5700 bikes and cars to customers in over 30 countries, with total sales sitting at more than £286 million as of December 2023.

The sale wasn’t a complete success though, with many of the headline bikes failing to sell at the event. This included a pair of factory-backed noughties Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP race bikes that were expected to fetch up to a combined £700,000.

The stunning competition machines were ridden by Loris Capirossi in 2003 and Casey Stoner in 2007.

Capirossi’s Desmosedici GP3 finished second in the constructors’ championship that year, with Stoner’s GP7 taking the MotoGP world championship during his first year with the Italian team.

Both still remain available for sale, with the 2003 machine up for a fixed price of £295,000, and the 2007 bike yours for a cool £413,000.

Other special Ducati racers that failed to go also included a Team Reve Red Bull Ducati 996 British Superbike ridden by John Reynolds in the 2000 season.

Finishing third in the standings, the bike was sold alongside letters from Reve Racing confirming its authenticity, old invoices, and even result sheets from a wildcard in that year’s World Superbike championship. It’s still up for grabs for £55,000.

For more, visit the Iconic Auctioneers website now.