7/28/2019 US Army sells Royal Enfield motorcycles

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APRIL lotlu igig. 371

SALE OF U.S.A. ARMY MOTOR CYCLES.Sidecar Outfits bought by Dealers at Figures Higher than the Catalogue Price.A SALE of motor cyclesused by the UnitedStates Army in this

countrv was held by theGrahame-White Co., Ltd.(Auction Department), atthe London Aerodrome,Hendoii, London, N.W.,last week, on instruc-tions received from theLT.S. Liquidation Commis-sion. Altogether therewere twentv-three motorcycles, and the pricesfetched were remarkably 0"^ ' "'^ "'"^ "'" '^"''='''good. The organisation of puces,the sale~was particularly well carried out, and theGrahame-White Co. deserve congratulation.The sale opened with the disposal of a number oflorries and a few touring cars, and the first motor

cycle to be put up was Lot 74. So far as motor cycleswere concerned, the catalogue needed considerablealteration, because it was first announced that therewould be nine Harlev-Davidsons for sale, but 4 h.p.Douglases and sidecars took their place, and therewere no motor cycles of American manufacture fordisposal. The Douglases were in fairly good con-dition and vastly superior to the motor cycles sold bythe Government Disposal Board at the recent sales wehave attended. Nearly all were fitted with lamps,there were few parts missing, and, though there weresigns that the machines had been used from a yearto eighteen months, as the catalogue stated, they werein fair order.

outfits that were disposed ct at goodIt made 145.

Bidding for the firstDouglas started at ;so,and it was eventuallyknocked down at ;]o.Probably because the buyerdid not turn up promptlyit was put up for auctionagain, and the next timefetched (iz^. Of the four-teen Douglases sold, sixfetched ;65 each, six weresold for ,10 each, one wassold for ^75, whi,te the laston the list fetched' ;77 los-

\\\ the afternoon a num-ber' of 6 h.p. Royal En-

fields, brand new' and as taken out of their crates,were [lut up for auction. They were well fitted up,with luggage carriers attached to the sidecar bodies,and many had D.A. cylinders fitted. The biddingstarted at ;ioo, and the first machine was knockeddown for ;i45, the purchaser being heartily cheered.Six more outfits fetched the same figure, and threewere sold for ^147 los. each.

Good Prices for Flat Twins.A 6 h.p. water-cooled Humber and sidecar was soldfor ;95, while a 4 h.p. Douglas and sidecar whichhad bean in use for about a year and was fitted withnew tyres fetched ^85. Another 4 h.p. Douglas andsidecar was sold for ^80, while the last motor cycleon the list, a second-hand 6 h.p. Enfield and sidecarin fair condition, was sold for ;^i 10. Many of the newEnfields were bought by the trade.

A water-cooled 6 h.p. Humber outfit which made 95. A 4 h.p. Douglas sidecar sold for 77 10s.

SELLING THE SIDECAR.SOME rather amusing hints to agents on selling asidecar were given in an American paper recently."When you begin to talk motor cycle to Mr.Man-with-the-money, it's about time to say somethingabout sidecars to the Lady-who-married-Him," is- auseful hint in a country where motor cycles are usedchiefly as solo mounts. The writer of the hintssuggests that it is not wise to leave the sidecar pro-position to be explained by the "hubby." "If the

job of making a sidecar enthusiast out of the missusis left to him, he may not deliver the goods. Mr.Man-with-the-money may try to explain matters, butmaybe he's not a good explainereven if he is married.Suppose he is not married ? The only thing to do inthat case is to watch, where he goes on Wednesdayand Sunday nights with his hair all slicked up andcologne on his coat lapelthen slip your sidecar letterunder the girl's front door."