John Lennon's Monkey Bike sells at auction for nearly $70,000
At the end of a recent auction, a 1969 Honda Z50A once owned by John Lennon – a member of the legendary band The Beatles – achieved a record amount of nearly 57,000 pounds, equivalent to nearly 80,000 USD.
The auction was held by the H&H National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, West Midlands; and the Honda Z50A sold for a total of £56,250 (plus fees), £10,000 more than the previous estimate. It is certainly Honda’s most expensive Monkey Bike yet.
The bike had been kept by its previous owner for 47 years, having been purchased from a used bike dealer who claimed it had been used by John Lennon to cruise around Tittenhurst Park. Photos of Lennon riding the bike later emerged to confirm this claim.
In fact, the bike remained largely unknown until another Monkey Bike with the number plate “XUC91H” was sold at Bonhams auction about 10 years ago. That was in 2008, when it sold for £36,000 and was claimed to have been owned by Ringo Starr (another member of The Beatles), who bought Tittenham Park from John Lennon.
Based on those facts and examining the original logbook, the H&H Museum is certain that the car in this auction has the same engine type and chassis number as the above car.
In this auction, there was also another car that achieved a record amount, which was a Honda model car.CB750, one of four prototypes built in 1969 (only two are believed to survive).
The car was expected to fetch £35,000 - £40,000; however, the auction has now ended.The car was a huge success, with the total price for the car reaching £157,500.