On February 8th, RM and Sotheby’s have an auction during the Rétromobile show. There’s some exquisite automobiles (including the Porsche 917 Spyder prototype!) and just one motorcycle – this Rudge 500 TT. The bike has a quite a connection to the world of automobiles, however. it’s said to be one of bikes campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari in their three-year flirtation with motorcycling racing.
That’s right – did you know Ferrari dabbled with two-wheel competition? You might assume that Enzo himself would partner with Italian manufacturers, but instead he went with a couple of British options. One of them was the 500 TT, a privateer race bike built by Rudge. The 499cc engine produced 28 horsepower and it was paired with a 4 speed close ratio transmission. In a three-year campaign, Scuderia Ferrari won 44 races, 3 national titles, the ’32 European Grand Prix and the ’33/’34 Targa Florio.
This example has been restored and it looks amazing in Ferrari colors. The engine has been stamped with SF 135, lending credence to the idea that this was a Scuderia Ferrari competitor. It has a German Fahrzeugpass (FIVA Identity Card) which suggest that it is almost entirely original. It has some upgrades (notably to the handlebars, clutch, silencers, and oil pump) but all are said to be “in line with historic racing regulations.”
For more information, head on over to the listing page for this bike. The sale estimate is between $53,467 and $160,395. That’s quite a range! Or feel free to click here to see all the listings. Just don’t be upset if you end up losing the next hour and have drool all over your keyboard!