Description
This motorcycle is Lot 238 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 Sunday 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 238
1928 Sunbeam 492cc Model 6 'Longstroke'
Registration no. RM 5309
Frame no. B1849A
Engine no. L1147 (see text)
The first Sunbeam motorcycle - a 350cc (2¾hp) side-valve single - left the Wolverhampton premises of John Marston, hitherto a manufacturer of finest quality enamelled goods, bicycles and - latterly - cars, in 1912. Overhead-valve engines were introduced in the mid-1920s but early competition successes were achieved with sidevalve-engined machines, most notably the 492cc (3½hp) 'Longstroke', which secured a debut win at the 1921 French Grand Prix ridden by Alec Bennett. In road-going form this remarkable engine remained in production right up until WW2. The Model 6 'Longstroke' had gained drum brakes by the mid-1920s, and in lightweight guise with low handlebars and minimal equipment was known as the 'Speedman's Machine'.
First registered on 31st July 1928, this delightfully patinated 'Longstroke' comes with a V5C document and an old-style green continuation logbook listing three owners, the last being the vendor's late brother, who acquired the Sunbeam in 1978. Incomplete, the machine is offered for recommissioning or possibly more extensive restoration and thus is sold strictly as viewed. It should be noted that the engine is a replacement unit.
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.
