An extremely rare 1938 Brough Superior SS100 is about to be auctioned at the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale in the UK in November 2023. Broughs, meticulously handcrafted, were considered at the time of production to be “the Rolls Royce of motorcycles”.
This particular specimen is an extremely well-known machine in the Brough community, with a complete history and documentation dating back to 1954. The current owner has had it since 2018. It’s a correct, numbers-matching example that was restored by renowned Brough restorer Tony Cripps in 2010. It’s a racing model, according to the owner – and is presented in a condition deemed excellent by the auction house.
This 1938 Brough Superior SS100 is equipped with a 990cc Matchless OHV engine. Only 102 Matchless Broughs were produced in total. Of those, only 34 were built with spring frames – of which this is one. Here, in 2023, only 25 of them are known to still exist.
Other equipment on this 1938 Brough Superior SS100, as it came from the factory, includes a Norton four-speed gearbox, Castle forks and a twin-flow carburetor. Items accompanying this bike when the winning bidder takes possession include the original fuel tank (which is not currently fitted), photographs and restoration details, historic photographs and documentation, RF60 log books, two old MOTs, tax records and lots of old documentation.
In more recent history, this machine has won several awards at exhibitions, including twice winning the Best MX SS100 award at the Brough Rally. It also won Best Ridden to Show at the Brough Rally once, and also won Best Bike at the VMCC Rally twice. As it is a competition model, this bike has a current UK registration, complete with V5C.
The NEC Classic Motor Show Sale 2023 is being held by Iconic Auctioneers (not to be confused with Iconic Motorbike Auctions, which is based in the USA). The auction will take place at the NEC Birmingham (the same venue that hosts Motorcycle Live every year) from November 10 to 12, 2023.
The bike will be auctioned live on November 12, 2023, at 13:00 Greenwich Mean Time. It is expected to cost between £240,000 (€280,586.89) and £260,000 (€303,969.14).