Description
This motorcycle is Lot 151 of Bonhams Motorcycles Online – The Summer Sale; open for bidding 5-15th June 2026. This Lot is available for public view and eventual collection from Bonhams Motorcycle Department, Milton Keynes.
Please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Bidding on all Lots commences Friday 5 June, 12:00 noon.
Bidding closes Monday 15 June, 12:00 noon, starting with Lot 1
Each subsequent Lot will then close one minute apart unless bidding remains active.
Public Viewing (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY):
All Lots:
Wednesday 10 June, 9am - 5pm
Thursday 11 June, 9am - 5pm
Please email using the button below with your availability to schedule an appointment.
Lot 151
The Connoisseurs Collection, Part III
c. 1955 Moto Parilla 250cc 'High-cam' Gran Sport
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. * 260030*
Engine no. * 260030*
This Lot has arrived in the UK from overseas under Temporary Admission. Shippio Ltd must complete all post-sale customs clearance administration, for import or export, on behalf of the purchaser. A compulsory fee of £195 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this service. This Lot may not be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any third-party transporter until Shippio Ltd has confirmed that this Lot has cleared customs.
If this Lot is to remain in the UK, or is not exported within 90 days of the sale, Import VAT at 5% of the hammer price will be payable.
Giovanni Parrilla built his first motorcycle in 1946, dropping his surname's second 'r' to call the machine a Parilla. Signor Parrilla owned a shop on the outskirts of Milan specialising in the repair of diesel injector pumps and he also held an agency for Bosch sparking plugs. The first Parilla motorcycle - a 250cc overhead-camshaft single-cylinder racer - was the work of Ing. Giuseppe Salmaggi, who already had the Gilera Saturno to his credit. Giovanni Parrilla was a big Norton *** so the 250 racer's engine employed a bevel-driven overhead-camshaft just like the British manufacturer's Manx. There the similarity ended however, for the Parilla was a thoroughly modern design boasting unitary construction of the engine/ transmission and geared primary drive. The new power unit went into a welded loop-type chassis featuring a single down-tube, girder front fork and plunger rear suspension. (Later versions had a telescopic fork and swinging-arm suspension). Ridden on its debut by Nino Grieco on 1st October 1946, the Parilla could claim to be Italy's first new racing motorcycle since the War's end.
Production of road and race (corsa) models began in 1947 and later that year Salmaggi came up with an improved twin-cam (bialbero) version of the racer. A 350 'double-knocker' was introduced in 1950 and the bialbero Parillas gave a good account of themselves in the Italian long-distance races of the day as well as at Grand Prix level.
The second generation of Parilla motorcycles - known as the 'high-cam' (camme rialzata) - debuted at the Milan Show in 1952 in the form of the Fox roadster. This was a 175cc single, built in Turismo and Competizione versions, which featured a chain-driven camshaft mounted on the side of the cylinder head, the valves being operated via short pushrods. Stunningly beautiful, Parilla's production racer was also exceedingly quick, one not-yet-run-in Competizione being clocked at over 96mph by an American magazine. Not surprisingly the 'high-cam' model proved extremely successful on the racetrack, particularly in the USA, and enlarged versions of 200cc and 250cc capacity followed, one of the latter being offered here.
This 'high-cam' Parilla is presented in restored condition and currently displays a total of 1, 599 miles on the odometer, which may well be the distance covered since the rebuild (the engine turns over). Offered with a selection of engine spares.
Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/ or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
£2, 000 - 3, 000
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.
