Description
This motorcycle is Lot 294 to be auctioned by Bonhams at The Spring Stafford Sale (The International Classic MotorCycle Show) on April 25th & 26th, please see the Bonhams Motorcycles Website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Lots 1 - 94 are to be sold from 14:30 on Saturday 25th April 2026.
Lots 201 - 353 are to be sold from 11:30am on Sunday 26th April 2026.
Public Viewing:
Available 25th & 26th April 2026 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Staffordshire County Showground (The International Classic MotorCycle Show).
** 1938 Sunbeam 350cc Model 8**
Registration no. MVS 146
Frame no. 24140
Engine no. A24 E 653 X
Sunbeam introduced overhead-valve engines in the mid-1920s having established its not inconsiderable sporting credentials with sidevalve machines. The Wolverhampton concern missed the virtually wholesale switchover from flat-tank to saddle-tank frames for the 1928 season, and its saddle-tank models did not appear until September of that year. Changes to the OHV engine were confined mainly to its top-end. Early flat-tankers featured a straight-ahead exhaust port, a peculiarity which necessitated the adoption of a bifurcated down-tube, then later in the 1920s the fashionable twin-port cylinder head became an option before Sunbeam standardised a single-port design in 1934. Pushrod enclosure had arrived by 1930 to be followed a couple of years later by partial enclosure of the rocker gear.
This post-Vintage example of Sunbeam's overhead-valve Model 8 was purchased by the private vendor from Vintage & Veteran in 2019 where the machine has been used sparingly since acquisition. The HPI and V5C state that the Sunbeam was previously registered overseas (it was first registered in the UK in 1972) and whilst in the UK has had 7 previous owners. The machine had already been restored when the vendor purchased it. Related bills for parts and services are on file and the Sunbeam also comes with the aforementioned HPI/ V5C and instruction manuals.
Key not required
All lots are sold ‘as is/ where is’ and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
