If you’re a fan of motorcycling history, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. A 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix racing bike – formerly ridden by the legends Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini – is coming up for auction at Bonhams’ Spring Stafford Sale.
This isn’t just any old race bike; it’s a piece of “works” machinery from MV Agusta’s most dominant era. Between 1958 and 1974, the Italian manufacturer won the 500cc World Championship every single year. This machine, frame and engine number 1109, was right at the heart of that golden age.
The bike is believed to date from 1965. This was a pivotal year for the team. Mike “The Bike” Hailwood was finishing his incredible run with MV Agusta, securing his fourth consecutive 500cc title before moving to Honda. At the same time, a young rising star named Giacomo Agostini had just joined the team as his teammate.
Agostini would, of course, go on to become the most successful Grand Prix rider of all time, and this bike represents the moment the torch was passed from one legend to the next.
In the racing world, these multi-cylinder MVs were nicknamed “fire engines” – partly because of their bright red fairings, but mostly because of the ferocious, screaming sound of their engines.
Authenticity is everything with bikes like this. Its provenance has been confirmed by Enrico Sironi, the director of the Agusta Museum, making it a truly blue-blooded collector’s item. It’s a rare chance to own a machine from a lineage that secured 139 race wins and 16 World Championships.
Auction Details
This MV Agusta is being offered as part of ‘The Connoisseurs Collection’ at the International Classic MotorCycle Show in Stafford.
- Estimate: £160,000 – £220,000
- Auction Date: 25–26 April 2026
- Location: Stafford, UK
Perhaps most surprisingly for a bike of this stature, it is being offered without reserve, meaning it will sell to the highest bidder regardless of the price.
Whether it ends up in a private collection or a museum, one thing is for sure: whoever takes it home will be owning one of the most iconic chapters in the history of the Grand Prix.
Also for sale
Ex-Barry Sheene; World Championship Winning; Texaco Heron Team Suzuki; works 1977 Suzuki RG500 (XR14) Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle
1939 Brough Superior 982cc SS80 Special
The David Plant Collection, 1926 HRD 499cc Model 90
c.1969 Métisse-Triumph T140V 750cc 8-valve Racing Motorcycle
