Back to the future as the oldest production motorcycle sells at auction

What is thought to be the oldest known production motorcycle in the world has sold at Bonhams for almost €200k (£175k) and its history alone is worth the price.

The 1894 Hildebrand and Wolfmüller is not the earliest known motorcycle in existence as steam examples from the 1860s and, more famously, Gottlieb Daimler’s gasoline-engined Einspur made in 1885, are known.

The Hildebrand, however, was the first powered two-wheeler to go into series production and the example sold, frame number 619, engine number 69, is thought to be the earliest production model still in existence. It is also the first make and model to be classified as a motorcycle.

So what does €195,500 buy you? Well a water-cooled, four-stroke 1488cc parallel twin sounds like the tech sheet to a modern super naked but that is where the similarities end.

For starters the cylinders are located at the base of the frame and run horizontal to the ground. The long connecting rods link to a ‘crankshaft’ secured to the solid rear wheel, in essence the rear wheel axle acts as a main bearing journal.

The similarities to the workings of a steam engine are no accident as brothers Heinrich and Wilhelm Hildebrand were both steam engineers.

The fuel is fed from the tank to a surface carburettor, through atmospheric inlet valves to the cylinders where it is ignited by a platinum hot tube, developed by Daimler. 

Large rubber bands help return the cylinders during the return stroke and the solid back wheel acts as a flywheel. The square looking rear mudguard acts as the cooling water reservoir and one of the motorcycles frame tubes doubles as an oil tank.

All this ‘tech’ produces 2.5bhp at just 240rpm, which was enough to propel the machine to almost 30mph, an incredible sight at the time. That ‘power’ was transferred to the ground by Dunlop tyres, the first pneumatic tyre fitted to a motorcycle.

Elsewhere the brake system considered of a primitive wooden block rubbing on the front tyre. When deployed, the throttle, which consisted of a thumb screw on the handlebar, was automatically closed.

Starting the machine also required a concerted effort, as the bike had to be pushed until it fired, whereupon its rider leapt aboard while simultaneously trying to regulate engine speed.

The frame was originally from a bicycle but proved to be insufficient for the weight and power of the engine so was beefed up to a newer integrated design, based loosely on the Hildebrand’s steam machine.

The name ‘motorrad’ was given to the final design and the motorcycle was patented in January 1894. The exact number of production models made is in dispute, but it is believed to be between 800 and 2000 units.

All images courtesy of Bonhams.