Beschreibung
This is Lot 376 in the Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale on April 20 & 21, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
First owned by Brough Superior 'early adopter' Sam Ratcliffe
Supplied new as a motorcycle combination
Restored by Tony Cripps in the 1990s
Present family ownership since 2001
Offered for sale by the Ratcliffe family
This Brough Superior SS80 formerly belonged to the lady vendor's late husband, Steve Ratcliffe. Steve and his father John Ratcliffe purchased the machine from noted collector, the late Robert White, in 2001 (see correspondence and hand-written purchase receipt on file). The Brough had been purchased new in 1924 by Sam Ratcliffe, John Ratcliffe's father and Steve Ratcliffe's grandfather. A mining engineer, Sam Ratcliffe had been a customer of Brough Motors and was an early devotee of George Brough's new Brough Superiors. A close friend of George's and an experienced trials rider, he was one of three entrants competing on Brough Superiors in the MCC's 1921 London-Land's End Trial, held in March that year, the others being George Brough himself and his right-hand man, Harold 'Oily' Karslake. Harold picked up a gold medal while George and Sam had to settle for silvers. Sam Ratcliffe is pictured in Peter Miller's book, Brough Superior - The Complete Story (pages 14, 19, 21 and 216).
Copy Works Record Cards on file show that the SS80 was supplied as a motorcycle combination to 'S Ratcliffe' and collected from the works on 26th August 1924. Sam Ratcliffe had hitherto competed exclusively on solo machines, and the combination had evidently been purchased as family transport (his first son John was four years old at the time).
For many years 'AU 9945' was owned by a Mr Archibald Onions of Staffordshire, and in 1971 was sold by him as a restoration project. The machine then passed through the hands of three further owners (see file) before being acquired - still unrestored - by Robert White, for whom it was superbly rebuilt by renowned marque specialist Tony Cripps in the 1990s. Steve Ratcliffe used 'AU 9945' extensively on the road at Brough Superior Club runs and other events in Dorset connected with T E Lawrence; 'Lawrence of Arabia' being perhaps the marque's most prominent devotee.
On display until recently at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum in Calne, Wiltshire, 'AU 9945' carries a tax disc that expired on 31st August 2015, and it's believed the last known outing was in August 2018. The machine is presented in wonderful condition however, following a period of inactivity, it may require recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent by the successful purchaser before further use and is therefore sold strictly as viewed.
The frame number '229' shown on the Works Record Card is almost certainly a clerical error and should be '239' (see correspondence on file). The original Brough stamp/ font is still visible; however, it has been over-stamped with a larger font to make it clearer (the Brough Club has confirmed that the original frame number is a Brough type/ font; the SS80 '229' exists elsewhere). The gearbox is believed to date from late 1926/ early 1927 and is not original to this machine, although it is of the correct type. A copy of the works record compiled by Mike Stains (former Brough machine registrar, 1960s-1970s) is on file. The extensive history file (perusal highly recommended) also contains copious correspondence; an old-style continuation logbook (issued 1967); copies of marque-related literature; various bills/ invoices; expired MoTs and tax discs; Steve Ratcliffe's logbook/ diary for 'AU 9945'; various images of Sam Ratcliffe and much more besides.
