Description
This motorcycle is Lot 350 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 350
'Dunstall' Norton 750cc 'Domiracer'
Registration no.
Frame no. P7 6850
Engine no. 20 116603
Spectacular 1960s racing machine
Dunstall 750cc race engine
Owned by Rob Edwards, Dunstall's workshop foreman, 1968-2011
Letter of authenticity
Paul Dunstall's name will be familiar to most motorcycle enthusiasts who were around in the 1960s and 1970s. He had raced from 1957 to 1959, but stopped racing and turned his attention to preparing race bikes for other riders, and producing performance parts and race styled accessories, especially for Nortons, but also for other marques. By 1966 he was building complete machines for both road and track. The 1967 Dunstall Dominator 750 was advertised as "the fastest road machine ever tested in Britain" and quoted a maximum speed of 131 mph. Customers included Steve McQueen. Meanwhile the racers were campaigned with considerable success including Ray Pickrell's win in the 1968 Production TT.
This spectacular Dunstall was purchased by the current vendor at the Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale 2016 (Lot 397) where it has been part of his collection, the previous vendor purchased this machine from Rob Edwards who had joined Paul Dunstall in 1967. In a letter dated 15th November 2011 which is included in the sale, Rob recounts:
"I was employed at the end of 1967 by Paul Dunstall of Eltham to build Dunstall Motorcycles, fairly soon I was his Race Mechanic and later he made me workshop foreman. When I started work he had 2 Norton Production Racers which Rex Butcher used to set the Monza 1 hour, 10 kilometer, 100 kilometer records at an average speed of 126. 7 mph".
"In 1968 Paul prepared one of these bikes and I prepared the other for the 1968 Production TT which Ray Pickrell won at record speeds".
I obtained one of these, engine no. 20 116603 in 1968, I fitted Dunstall spun cast pistons raised compression ratio to over 11:1, fitted a Dunstall Domiracer cam, built the bike with a Robinson 4LS front brake and had one of the fastest bikes around at that time, which I raced fairly successfully at different periods, with my last competitive race at the end of 1987.
In addition to the above letter, this impressive machine is accompanied by a number of photographs from the period it was owned by Rob Edwards including shots of it being raced at Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, and Donington Park, also a photo taken in the Dunstall workshop. There are a number of photocopies of press articles regarding Dunstall.
The previous vendor listed the specification as follows: Norton Roadholder forks, alloy wheels, Robinson 4LS front brake, standard Norton rear brake, Atlas engine with full Dunstall modifications, twin Monobloc carburettors, Lucas K2FC competition magneto, Dunstall high level exhaust system with megaphones, Norton 4 speed close ratio gearbox.
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.
