One of the world’s rarest and most expensive motorcycles is being offered by Donington Auctions in Melbourne. Made famous as the motorcycle model ridden by the Englishman who changed the Middle East, Colonel T.E Lawrence – better known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ – this 1933 Brough Superior SS 100 is being auctioned currently in Donington’s ‘Classic & Vintage Motorcycle Auction’. Expected to bring the price of a small city apartment, this 1933 Brough Superior SS100 Spring Frame Model is one of over 40 lots in the on-line auction, which closes on 31 May. It is the first time in over 30 years that a Brough Superior SS 100 has been offered at auction in Australia.
The Brough Superior is widely regarded by collectors as the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of motorcycles, which would certainly delight the Nottingham (UK) marque founder, George Brough, who had set out to build the ‘ultimate’ luxury motorcycle. At a time when motorcycles were still very rudimentary, the Brough Superior evolved through ever-more sophisticated specifications during the 1920s and 1930s, whilst finished to a premium level with lashings of chrome and nickel plating. Powered by a 1000cc V-twin engine in a double-cradle frame, the Brough Superior SS 100 debuted at the 1924 Olympia Show, with a guarantee of 100 mph plus performance. Each Brough Superior SS 100 was built to order, with this example – one of just seven produced in 1933 – going to its first Essex-based owner in early 1933, before being imported into Australia around 1960. It then spent many years stored in a wine cellar before being purchased by a noted South Australian collector, who subsequently restored it, at which point it featured on the cover of a 1975 book. This Brough Superior SS 100 was then sold to New Zealand, before returning to Australia into the hands of the current owner in 2023.
“In terms of motorcycle collectability, the Brough Superior is the pinnacle,” Donington Auctions’ Cameron Sabine commented “Just 283 were ever made and they so rarely come to market, particularly in this country where they are rare and tightly held. Interest in this example is certainly strong.”
A premium European-style auction house, Donington Auctions is Australia’s largest auctioneer of classic automotive items. Donington Auctions’ team of principal and consultant specialists has more than 100 years’ combined market expertise in vintage and veteran, classic and collectible cars and motorcycles, single-owner collections, and automotive memorabilia and ephemera.