Description
This motorcycle is Lot 338 - 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 338
1942 BMW 750cc R75 Military Motorcycle Combination
Registration no. ESK 438
Frame no. 763707
Engine no. 763686
Iconic WWII military vehicle
Present ownership since 1991
Requires recommissioning
The BMW R75 sidecar outfit that the Wehrmacht used so effectively and in such great numbers in every theatre of its operations during WWII was no mere sidecar combination but a purpose-built cross-country vehicle. Designed by engineer/ racing driver Alex von Falkenhausen and powered by a 750cc overhead-valve engine housed in a tubular steel frame, the R75 employed an ingenious transmission system featuring shaft drive to both rear and sidecar wheels and two-stage gearing. The latter provided four alternative ratios for both off-road and tarmac use, plus two reverses. There was a differential that could be locked when conditions became really tough, and the wide, interchangeable, 16"diameter wheels were shod with knobbly tyres. Hydraulic braking was another unusual feature, but as the R75 weighed more than 900lbs unladen and could top 60mph it needed all the stopping power it could get. A total of 16, 510 K75 had been built when production ceased in 1944.
Finished in the sand-coloured desert livery of the Afrika Korps, this example of one of the most famous military vehicles of WWII was purchased by the vendor in Hungary and registered in the UK on 11th September 1991. The BMW has not been used for some time and will require recommissioning, or possibly more extensive restoration, before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed (the engine turns over). At present the two guns are away being re-certified as disused and it is hoped they will have been reunited with the outfit by time of sale. The machine is offered with a V5C Registration Certificate. A 'must have' for the serious collector of military vehicles.
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.
