KEY POINTS:
A collection of important vintage and collectable motorcycles being auctioned this week is attracting investors from overseas and locally.
The motorbikes, being offered by Webb's auction house, have come from private collections around the country. Webb's managing director, Neil Campbell, says most of them are well-known for their participation in vintage rallies around New Zealand - some of them since the advent of the scene here.
The majority of the bikes are in good running order and one of the oldest, a rare Ariel dating from around 1915, is expected to fetch $15,000 to $20,000. From there the collection ranges through to a 2001 MV Augusta, an engineering collaboration between racing bike builders Enzo Ferrari and Count Domenico Augusta, which is expected to go for up to $22,000.
Owner of Auckland Motorcycles and Powersports, Ray Pratt, says Campbell has contacted "everybody who's anybody and put together a nice array of machinery". He thinks the auction will attract a lot of attention from collectors.
New Zealand is a popular destination for motorcycle collectors because salt is not used on the roads here; meaning bikes are preserved in good condition and sought after globally. "We have a very good community of motorcycle enthusiasts and investors, who look after their bikes," Campbell says.
Pratt thinks the star of the show is a 1958 Manx Norton - the most successfully campaigned machine known to exist in New Zealand. It was first purchased by John Hamplemen, whose large number of racing wins here and abroad made him a household name. He sold the bike to Hugh Anderson, who rode it to 25 Grand Prix victories.
The exhibition is open over the weekend (11-3pm), Monday and Tuesday until the auction starts at 7pm.
