P1racenews AI automatic summary:
500cc MV Agusta raced by Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood sells for nearly £1m at auction, ex-Barry Sheene Suzuki exceeds £500,000.
A 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix machine was recently sold for £967,000, nearly setting an all-time record for motorcycle auctions. This historic bike, once ridden by legends Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, previously belonged to fellow grand prix star John Surtees. Hailwood’s dominance in the 1965 500cc season with eight wins contributed to the bike’s high value, with Giacomo Agostini and Dick Creith securing the remaining victories. The final sale price almost reached the current record of $1.32 million, held by a 1915 Cyclone V-Twin Board Track Racer. The auction also achieved a new Italian motorcycle sales record. At the same Bonhams Stafford Sale, a 1977 Suzuki RG500 XR14 raced by Barry Sheene set a new Japanese motorcycle sales record by selling for £506,000, double its initial estimate. Additionally, a 2015 Honda RC213V-S production version fetched £186,300, while a 2019 BMW S1000RR, previously ridden by Peter Hickman, earned £88,550, marking a successful and record-breaking event led by Bonhams Collectors’ Motorcycles International Department Director, Ben Walker.
