Classic market defies recession
Added on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Classic market defies recession
Whilst the recession is causing new car sales to tumble and denting the sales of bigger, thirstier motorcycles, the classic market seems to be holding up well so far.
Feedback from owners and traders at the Classic Motor Show suggests that record prices are still being reached for classic machines such as the Vincent 1000 twins, AJS 7R, Norvins, Tritons and so on, but more importantly enthusiasts are still collecting old bikes and using them, as well as restoring them.
Steve Tonkin, who runs a restoration business in the North-West of England told insidebikes;
” I started out 20 years ago and thought the classic bike business would die away as people got older and stopped riding old motorcycles, but it’s still keeping me busy. I have a couple of restorations to do, plus a guy who wants a Matchless G50 race machine converting to road spec on the books, which should keep me busy well into next year.”
Steve built the Tempest single cylinder cafe racer (pictured above), which features a Seeley frame and a brand new, single cylinder engine, plus many hand-crafted parts. The bike was pictured on the Tamworth and District Club stand, next to an Egli Vincent - which had just been sold to a Vincent enthusiast.
Chatting with a member of the TR03 ( Triumph Trident and Rocket 3 Owners) club, insidebikes was told that `people are buying older bikes because they offer better value in the long run, they’re just as much fun and, let’s face it, you can’t use the performance of modern bikes on the roads anymore.’
There seems no doubt that there will be plenty of interest in the Carole Nash sponsored Classic Village section at the NEC, where some of the most stunning restorations will be on display. The Classic Village is part of the International Motorcycle Show, which opens at the NEC on 28th October 2008.
