Description
This motorcycle is Lot 256 - To be auctioned by Bonhams at The Spring Stafford Sale (The International Classic MotorCycle Show) on 26th & 27th April, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Lots 101 - 147 are to be sold from 14:00 on Saturday 26th April 2025.
Lots 201 - 410 are to be sold from 11:00 on Sunday 27th April 2025.
Public Viewing:
Available 26th & 27th April 2025 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Stafford County Showground (The International Classic MotorCycle Show).
Lot 256
c. 1959 Benelli 125cc 2T Leoncino Racing Motorcycle
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. L40338S
Engine no. unable to locate
Italy's oldest surviving motorcycle manufacturer, albeit now Chinese owned, Benelli was founded in 1911 by the six Benelli brothers. A relatively recent re-entrant into the superbike market with its Tornado-derived family of triples, Benelli is best known for its Grand Prix successes in the 1950s/ 1960s when it secured two 250cc World Championships, and also for its outrageous six-cylinder road bikes of the 1970s. The Italian manufacturer has, of course, always produced less exotic fare such as the Leoncino lightweight, a model that won its class in the 1953 Moto Giro d'Italia. Unusually, the Leoncino was built in various configurations, both two-stroke and four-stroke, the example offered here being powered by the former.
A model rarely seen outside its home country, this Leoncino racer was purchased by a member of the vendor's family around 15 years ago, since when it has been stored. No history is known. Recommissioning will be required before the machine returns to the road (the engine turns over). Sold strictly as viewed.
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.
