£100k classic | Historic 1958 Moto Morini 250cc GP racer goes under the gavel at Paris auction

A rare 1958 Moto Morini 250cc Bialbero Grand Prix racer recently went under the hammer in a Paris auction, fetching a staggering €126,500 (approximately £108,384) including premium.  

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It sold on at the Bonhams Paris auction at the start of February alongside 32 other two bikes, with lots representing a range of vehicles, from a 1949 Benelli 250 to an 2002 Ducati 998 s Bostrom replica. 

The Morini carries an iconic history, with a later example coming within a whisker of claiming the 1963 250cc World Championship, only to be pipped by a four-cylinder Honda piloted by the legendary Jim Redman. This particular machine features a 1958 frame, and 1962 engine.

“Built in 1957, Morini’s first effort in Grand Prix racing’s 250 class was based on the successful 175cc Rebello sports roadster and featured chain drive to twin overhead camshafts,” the Bonhams description reads.

“In this form the bialbero (twin-cam) Morini won first time out in the 1958 Italian Grand Prix at Monza with works rider Emilio Mendogni in the saddle.”

Accompanying the bike was a handwritten notebook, detailing the results of numerous races it competed in, as well as information regarding specification and set-up and several in-period photographs. Despite its vintage, the later 1962 motor fitted is reported to be in good order and had been run recently.

Founded in 1937, Moto Morini crafted an early reputation largely on the construction of lightweight two-strokes, before introducing four-stroke models in the 1950s.

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After four years of development, Morini left the confines of the Italian championship and ventured on to the global stage, where despite missing two rounds of the championship, works rider Tarquinio Provini missed on the world title by just two points.