The only extant 1915 Quirk Mona 600cc motorcycle is attracting considerable excitement ahead of its sale at the Classic Motorcycle and Car Auction in Auckland on March 31.
Valued at NZ$15,000-30,000 ($24,720), the motorcycle has prompted a frenzy of interest from Australia in particular.
The auction house's managing director Neil Campbell explains: "It is the one known example of the only Australian-made motorcycle ever produced and it is thought that only about 90 of these machines were ever made."
Based on the 4hp Douglas, the superbly-built Quirks Mona featured many unique and advanced features for its time.
The motorbike was previously in the collection of well-known collector Paddy Ryan, who sold it to the consignor in 1970.
 The last remaining of the 90 1915 Quirk Mona 600cc motorcycles |
It will appear at auction as one bike partially dismantled, alongside another set of parts.
The sale will feature 40 classic and modern motorcycles, and will include a 1915 Excelsior Big X, which has a NZ$68,000-88,000 estimate, while a 1959 Triumph Bonneville will appear with a NZ$15,000-25,000 valuation.
"We've over 40 beautiful machines on offer, from one of the rarest Australian motorcycles, to some fine post modern classics and modern day icons," said Campbell.
The bi-annual sale will also feature a number of classic cars, and hopes to build on the March 2011 auction, which saw a 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso sell for a New Zealand car auction record of NZ$1.1m.
An iconic 1974 E-type Jaguar, with extremely low mileage, is estimated to sell for between NZ$100,000-150,000.
