Chart-topping Sales At The Mecum Las Vegas 2018 Auction

Mecum’s 27th annual Las Vegas Vintage and Antique Motorcycle Auction totaled at a record-setting $13.9 million of overall sales, showcasing its still-apparent appeal to the public. About 1,324 motorcycles were presented at the auction, 1,207 of which were sold – a total of 91 percent sell-through rate.

These totals, together with those achieved at the world’s largest collector-car auction held in Kissimmee, Florida, 5-14 Jan, made January 2018 Mecum’s most successful month in company history.

(Image: Rider Magazine)

Sales were topped by an incredibly rare and comprehensively restored 1911 Harley-Davidson Twin (Lot F133) that brought $154,000, followed closely by a 1917 Henderson Four (Lot F191) previously owned by Steve McQueen that sold for $110,000. Other six-figure sales included a 1968 Vincent Shadow Recreation (Lot F156.1) and a 1941 Indian Four Cylinder (Lot S141). Not only was the top 10 list mostly dominated by American-built motorcycles, the segment as a whole once again demonstrated its enduring appeal with most American-built offerings selling for especially impressive sums. Both pre- and postwar Harley-Davidsons showed a marked increase in value evidenced by sales like that of the 1945 Harley-Davidson EL (Lot S55) that brought $99,000 and landed among the auction’s top sales. Vintage off-road motorcycles also brought stronger selling prices than ever before, and prices for vintage Japanese motorcycles, including 1980s sport bikes, demonstrated that they are on the rise as well.

“The sold percentage of more than 90 percent reached at this year’s Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction shows that the collector-motorcycle market is thriving,” commented Ron Christenson of Mecum’s motorcycle division. “The auction has more than doubled in size since 2014, both in the amount offered and in the sales totals achieved, further solidifying Mecum as the largest vintage motorcycle auction company in the world.”