Bonhams’ 2014 Las Vegas motorcycle auction was held at Bally’s Hotel & Casino which was formally the MGM Grand until the disastrous fire that kill some 85 people about 25 years ago. The hotel was rebuilt and renamed. It’s now part of the Caesars casino empire. A tip, always stay below the 6th floor as that’s the reach of fire truck ladders.

 

As always with Bonhams, I check in with Nick Smith, Bonhams’ motorcycle specialist, to get cleared to wander around with my picture taking device and am left alone to record and drool over some really neat examples of the motorcycle manufacturers’ ingenuity. There was a surprisingly large representation of Harley-Davidsons with everything from early, early to immediately after the WW II, small Harleys from the ‘50s and ‘60s to the full dressed Panheads , ands only a couple of customized Harleys as they’re not big sellers at this auction.

 

  Jack Silverman of Santa Fe and Aspen consigned his fabulous Ducati collection to the Vegas auction. On display was the sport coat worn by Steve McQueen as Lt. Frank Bullitt in the film with the same name. It ain’t going to be offered here except as a teaser for the upcoming Snotsdale auction later this month.

 

  Had a sit down with Malcolm Barber who is Group Managing Director of Bonhams which is about as high as one can get in the Bonhams’ organization. Even though he got his start in the motor division, he’s now in charge of Bonhams’ 40 departments for art, collectables, motorcycles, and automobiles. You get the idea, he’s the Big Kahuna. I bet he ran the sale when they sold the ex-Fangio Mercedes-Benz 196 for a record 29 million dead Washingtons.