It has taken a long time for a motorcycle to break the million-dollar barrier at auction, and it was almost done twice within a few minutes today in Las Vegas.
First up, the world record for a motorcycle at auction was obliterated when a 1915 Cyclone V-Twin sold for US$1,320,000, surpassing the previous high prices of $935,000 (a 1908 Harley-Davidson ‘Strap Tank’) and $929,000 (a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning).
Just a few minutes later, a 1938 Crocker Twin sold for $880,000.
This story has some wonderful facets. Both bikes sold from the collection of the late and delightfully eccentric Urban S. Hirsch III, one of nature's more colorful success stories. The private museum in which the Urban S. Hirsch III Collection was formerly housed was an entire wing of Hirsch's palatial residence, across multiple rooms and floors.
Urban grew up poor, hung out as a kid at the LA motorcycle shop of Bud Ekins (famous racer, American ISDT representative, raconteur and, most famously, Steve McQueen's stunt double, drinking buddy and oft-time partner in late-night shenanigans), became fabulously wealthy by securing printing ink contracts when newsprint was the medium of the day, but never stopped hanging out with his motorcycle mates.
In his preview of the collection, the Vintagent's Paul D'Orleans wrote thus: Hirsch would often show up at motorcycle events wearing a customized jacket (or jackets, if he brought along one of his many lady friends) with heat-transfer lettering on the back with an obscure (or slyly obscene) pun or double-entendre: “I started out with nothing … and I still got most of it left,” “Medicated … for your protection,” and “We cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you.”
New Atlas