Description
This motorcycle is Lot 171 to be auctioned by Bonhams at The Autumn Stafford Sale (The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show) on 12 & 13 October, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Lots 1 - 176 are to be sold from 11:00 on Saturday 12th October 2024.
Lots 201 - 429 are to be sold from 11:00 on Saturday 13th October 2024.
Public Viewing:
Available 12th & 13th October 2024 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Stafford County Showground (The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show).
Lot 171
The Andy Chapman Collection
1970 Moto Guzzi 757cc V7 Special
Registration no. VRL 747H
Frame no. VM59BS
Engine no. 16125
Moto Guzzi's venerable 90-degree v-twin originated in the early post-war years, and its descendants are still around today powering the company's latest generation of motorcycles. Guzzi's transverse v-twin had been conceived to power a lightweight three-wheeler intended for the Italian army, and only later was it reassessed for possible motorcycle use. The first motorcycle to make use of this remarkable engine, the 703cc V7, appeared at the International Milan Show in December 1965. The work of Ing. Giulio Carcano, the man who had masterminded Guzzi's spectacular V8-engined Grand Prix racer, the V7 was the biggest and fastest roadster ever to come out of the Mandello del Lario factory. Its military origins had dictated that the engine should be both simple and easily maintained; indeed, accessibility was outstanding while the shaft-drive transmission, another military requirement, provided virtually maintenance-free running. The Guzzi v-twin would undergo a seemingly never-ending series of enlargements, the first of which, to 757cc, occurred in 1969 on the Special/ Ambassador models.
Currently showing a total of 29, 815 kilometres (approximately 18, 500 miles) on the odometer (at the time of cataloguing/ photography), this V7 Special was acquired by the vendor in 2019. Following a period of inactivity, the machine will require re-commissioning to a greater or lesser extent, or possibly more extensive restoration, before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Offered with a V5C.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
