Post-Sale Update: After 30 bids on eBay, this Hoffman sold for $4,949.
Originally a bicycle manufacturer, Hoffman ventured into motorcycle production between ’48-’54. The Hoffmann Gouverneur MP250 was their attempt at moving upmarket. It wasn’t a bad effort – 2,800 were built, but development costs for their 300cc engine used in the evolution of this bike along with a lawsuit from BMW claiming infringement of the Isetta against Hoffman’s “Auto-Kabine”, built with the same 248cc engine used in the MP250, pushed Hoffman into bankruptcy.
The motorcycling arm of Hoffman was short-lived, but I’m a big fan of the styling of this Gouverneur, especially that engine. Unfortunately, those sleek covers contributed to some overheating. The 248cc engine produced 11 horsepower in the first years of production. Want to learn more? Check out a bunch of old sales brochures and a little bit of Hoffman history over at Bernie’s Bike Shed.
This specific Hoffmann Gouverneur MP250 (VIN: 251626) is claimed to be in very good cosmetic and excellent mechanical state. It comes with documentation and an international certification for historical vehicles – whatever that truly means. It is being offered by the Grom Motorcycle Museum in Slovenia, which has over 140 motorcycles going back as far as 1906.
Find this Hoffmann Gouverneur MP250 for sale in Vransko, Slovenia with bidding up to $530