Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
Viewing: Tues 24th March from 1pm
Auction: Wed 25th March from 9am
Location: National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 0EJ
c. 1939 Benelli 250 DOHC
Estimate
£44, 000 - £48, 000
Registration No: Un-Registered
Frame No: 25 1616
MOT: Exempt
Soul-stirring tribute to one of the "five greatest motorcycles of all-time" (Cycle World)
Understood to have been painstakingly converted to DOHC in the 1940s by Pierre Berlie
Very seldom seen during decades spent in private collections
The Road and Race Collection
Benelli enjoyed great competition success in the ’20s, chiefly with a SOHC 175cc machine. A DOHC machine appeared in 1930, and it was increased to 250cc in 1934. The new model ran a flying kilometre at 113mph—faster than the quickest 350s. On track, Benelli still had trouble beating Moto Guzzi and DKW. Giovanni Benelli unveiled the next major evolution in 1938, with dry-sump lubrication. The combination of the long stroke and heavy flywheel gave it plenty of torque in addition to a high top speed, and it went straight out and won the 1938 Italian Grand Prix at Monza outright; with Emilio Soprani first and Martelli second, Ted Mellors’s 350cc Velocette KTT was left trailing in third. Mellors proceeded to get a ride on the Benelli for the 1939 Lightweight TT, and won it.
The 250 returned when Benelli started racing again in 1947, and with Dario Ambrosini it continued to beat Guzzis in Grands Prix, but the 250 World Championship title remained elusive until 1950, when Ambrosini stormed to victory in three out of the four rounds (including the TT), riding what was then a twelve-year-old design.
We understand that this magnificent Grand Prix tribute originated as a civilian or ex-military SOHC Benelli 250, prior to being turned into a DOHC in the late 1940s by Pierre Berlie, a high-performance motorcycle specialist in Avignon. Doing his own designing, machining and casting, Berlie first took a SOHC 175cc Benelli and performed a DOHC conversion, before repeating the feat with this 250. He also fitted a large-diameter, lightweight alloy front hub of his own design, which he intended for commercial sale. Both Benellis were described in a period article in Moto Revue by J. Porte. By the 2000s, the bike had come to reside in a French private museum, but it was sold through Racing & Investment Motorcycles in 2016 to our vendor for his large collection of rare and important historic motorcycles. It has been started regularly in the present ownership. Bidders should note that some import duties may be outstanding.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Parking and entry into the auction is free for auction attendees with a catalogue, available at the door.
Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people).
