STIFF PRICES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 254, 22 July 1919, Page 7

STIFF PRICES

NO BARGAINS AT MOTOR.CYCLE AUCTIONS. (By "Twin,"'in the "Daily Mail.") ~ Twenty-one guineas for a frame, half an engine, including a broken pision, two rusty wheels, handle-bare,, and an incomplete petrol tank was tl!o J>id at which the hummer fell at the Government sale of motor cycles at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, recently. This was a fair standard of mosc'of tho figures at which the vurions lots were sold without reserve throughout the day. Unused motor cycles awl side-curs, with the tyres perished and without accessories, such as lamps and horn, and, when new, costing about J3105, wero bought for .£l3l ss.' As a spectator said to me, "Truly the motoring world today is mad!" By the hour appointed for the entrance of the public, 11 a.m.. there were thousands of people waiting for admission; iand 'during the afternoon, enthusiasts, schoolboys', start officers, and 'people from, all parts'of tho country continuod to invade tho hall, all vaim hoping to get a bargain. The crowd.assembled near the rostrum throughout the sale was so great that it was not always possible to hoar tho auctioneer's voice when stauding on the outskirts. Tho maiorily of the lots were, I 'Should think, bought by dealers, and one or two soourcd a good number of the unused machines. The sale led off with 20. Triumph, and ."0 B.S.A. motor bicycles, in various stages of decay, and buying prices. varied between Jill 14s. and ,£42. . A -J>H 31s. tine appeared to be a wreck. Tho front wheel and forks were buckled,, the engine castiiis was chipped, there was no saddle, no gear, no magneto, no exhaust; pipe, ana only one handle-bar remained. The mneh.ine. had no magneto, no carburettor, and no saddle, while the speed lever, foot rests, and starter wen* jient out of shape. A JM!) 13s. lot had no back wheel, handle-bars, saddle,. magneto, or carburettor; tho mudguards were crumpled, timing, case cover off, frame support .for engine broken in half, petrol tank incomplete, and the whole covered with a generous coating of rust. AVhen there were tyres on a machine these were, invariably deflated and in'many cases useless for serious work. A B.S.A. motor cycle and side-car, second-hand but actually possessing a magneto and carburettor, went for .£73 10's. : Many pcoplo who had hoped to buy. a machine, at jv reasonable price saw by ,110011 (tint this would be .impossible. .Several remarked to me that, if it hail liot been an auction sale and prospective purchasers had heen buying.in cold blood, the prices would have been much lower. One lot. was composed, only of a frame, wheels with seedy-looking tyres, a tank, saddle, and handle-bars. It went for .£lO 10s.—the fair mire of many a compjeto motor cycle before the war. Some Enfield ammunition carriers fetched from 1 .£59 17s. lo .£73 10s„ and four Admiralty au-to-carriers, which looked very dilapidated, sold for ,£sl 125., .CDS. 175., .£39 IS' ''lid J.'. r >o 17 1 -'. icspectively. After a short luncheon interval., the sale reopened with an 'Indian motor cycle which had been bought in the morning for ,£2! i 25,. and was resold for .£.'U t!ls. Much laughter and considerable excitement was caused at lliis bidding, as it seemed possible that the purchaser, who was on I lie far outskirts ol' tlie crowd, thought lie was .securing for that price, tiic Inst o;' the unusiicd lots, although the :iiici took particular trouble to explain -that it was one ot the morning lots put up again! Tho lots now consisted nf the 100 unused Doit'dns motor cycles—seventy 23li.p. and thirty l-h.p. machines with sidecars. The crowd in the part nf tho hull wlicro the rostrum was placed became even denser when these were put mi 'l"ne first machine went for ,L'B!i Is,. I and the next; Iwo for .L 75 12s. and .£7B lot. respectively, alter which the price varied between .£77 Is. and .£7.1 10s. As vrith the higher-powered machines with side-cars, the tyres were of little use, and were supplied. The first of these lots, which fell at «C7II 10s.. was greeted "With loud cheers, and there was much laughter, at the auctioneer's efforts to raise the figure to ■EllSt) Ids. for a 4-li.p. Douglas and sidecar. The average price of these lots was ,£l3l ss.