Monday, March 7, 2011

100 Mile an Hour Man























Charterhouse Auctioneers have been instructed to sell the highly important collection of photographs, trophies, Brooklands badges and ephemera belonging to the great late Claude F Temple, the motorcycle manufacturer, Brooklands racer and motorcycle speed world record holder. The collection is expected to sell for over £5,000 when it goes under the hammer.

“Rarely do such historically important motorcycle items appear on the open market, as the majority is held by museums, institutions or is in private collections.” Commented Matthew Whitney. “He was the first person to cover 100 miles in less than one hour on a motorcycle at Montlhery in 1924, when he covered 100 miles in 58 minutes and 50.6 seconds which is equivalent to 101.982 mph. Just a couple of years later, in 1926, he became the fastest man on two wheels when he took the world speed record on a motorcycle at 121.3 mph. This is a fantastic collection from a golden age of motorcycles, when men were men and health and safety had not been invented.”

This is the first time the collection has appeared on the open market. It comes direct from a close family friend who lives on the Isle of Man, home of the famous motorcycle races. The collection will be auctioned at the Footman James 32nd Bristol Classic Car Show on Sunday 17th April together with other interesting items of automobilia, motorcycles, vintage and classic cars, including a 1948 Bentley Mk VI Special, at £48,000 – 52,000 and a 1960 Jaguar Mk II 2.4 litre manual overdrive saloon, with only three owners all living within 10 miles of each other in Devon estimated at £10,000 -12,000. Perhaps more fittingly however, there is monster of a motorcycle in the form of a Suzuki GSX-R 1000. This has been extensively modified by Harris Racing as their show bike and demonstrator. Painted in Barry Sheene racing colours, this bike is capable of over 200 mph, and estimated at £7,500-9,000.

For more information regarding this auction or to consign a single item or a complete collection, please contact Matthew Whitney at our head office in Sherborne on 01935 812277 or via email  mw@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk and please visit our website www.charterhouse-auctions.co.uk to  view the regularly updated Classic Car preview pages.

Making history on a motorcycle – a group of photographs of Claude Temple from his own archive.Quick Links

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For further information regarding this article, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner