Never miss an auction
Never miss an auction
£4,500 - £5,500
1952 Sunbeam S7 Deluxe, 500cc. Registration Number LWR 699, Frame Number S7 2871, Engine Number S8 1826.
Sold with V5c, Keys, some receipts, copy of workshop manual.
When the 1946 S7 was unveiled to the post-war biking public, it was one of the most technically advanced motorcycles of its age. With its all-aluminium, unit-construction, single overhead-camshaft, horizontally split engine, it also boasted shaft drive, a smooth power delivery and numerous other technical refinements that that BSA (the new owners of Sunbeam) hoped would be a big hit with the buyers, unfortunately this was not to be.
Designed by Erling Poppe and Gerry Bayliss, the S7 was intended to be the company flagship, a machine to rival the high-specification wartime Wehrmacht BMW R75—which was offered to the firm as part of the post WW2 reparations deal. They decided to stick with their own design with all the development problems that that entailed.
After the first run of all black finished machines was sold, a much improved 25bhp S7 was offered, which, in 1949, was improved further with the introduction of the Mist Green De Luxe model.
Throughout its production run, the S7 and S8 (which were sold side by side) were continually improved. But the fundamental design was never developed as far as it might have been, and the accumulation of crisis-management fixes coupled with falling sales led in 1956 to its discontinuation—although bikes were still available from stock until 1957.
LWR was purchased by our vendor in running order in 2014, and has subsequently had a professional bodywork repaint in the original Mist Green, and the wheels powder coated.
Other works include a new Stewart Engineering 600 Carburettor, along with petrol taps and pipes, and a full electrical overhaul including reconditioned dynamo, new wiring loom, regulator, coil and ignition switch.
The vendor informs us it has been unused since this work, and is being sold due to his advancing years.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Room and Absentee Bids:
15% inc VAT*
Online and Autobids:
18.6% inc VAT*
