It’s October 2, 2023, and that means the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania is about to host the annual auction for the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Fall Nationals. While there are plenty of impressive automobiles in attendance each year, there are also a handful of rare and beautiful pre-war motorcycles, as well—and 2023 is no exception. The 2023 Hershey event starts with a preview on October 3, while the actual auction takes place on October 4 and 5, 2023.
Here are three rare pre-war machines that will cross the auction block at the 2023 Hershey auction. All three will be auctioned off on Thursday, October 5, and all three are offered on a bill of sale only.
1928 CWS Federation 350 Lightweight
Not to be confused with CVS, CWS stood for ‘Cooperative Wholesale Society Organization.’ Based in Birmingham, England, the firm was one of several at the time that made use of customer engines from the likes of JA Prestwich (or JAP for short) and Villiers. Some were singles, some were V-twins, and all are considered incredibly rare in 2023—and even rarer still outside the UK.
This bike is being offered with no reserve from a private collection and is expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000.
1910 Thor IV Model K Single
Aurora Automatic Machinery Company of Aurora, Illinois occupies a special place in American motorcycle history. Although its name may not be familiar in 2023, it exclusively supplied engines to Indian Motorcycles from its start in 1903 up until 1907. Not only that, but it was Aurora that first had the bright idea to hire racers to use its products in competition—thereby gaining a ton of exposure for the company and its products.
Thor was Aurora’s in-house motorcycle brand—and this example is one of the final iterations of its single-cylinder designs. Unlike many other machines of the era, Aurora developed almost all of its parts in-house—including using its own proprietary carburetor design on this bike. This particular machine has been in the current owner’s collection for 30 years, stored in a climate-controlled area.
It’s offered with no reserve and is expected to fetch between $35,000 and $45,000.
1903 Humber Beeston 2 and ¾ HP
Like many early motorcycle manufacturers, Humber started out making bicycles. By 1896, as it sensed which way the wind was blowing, it soon tried its hand at making motorcycles that used Phelon & Moore components. Fewer than 10 early Humber Beeston motorcycles are believed to still exist in 2023—some 120 years after this example was produced. When new, competitors of the time loved these bikes for hillclimbs.
This particular bike had a ground-up restoration about 30 years ago, just prior to the current owner purchasing it. Auction house RM Sotheby’s, which is hosting this auction, calls it “a superb offering unlikely to be replicated in the public marketplace anytime soon.”
It’s offered with no reserve and is expected to fetch between $35,000 and $45,000.
The 2023 Hershey auction will take place at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and is an RM Sotheby’s event. For more information or to peruse the full catalog of vehicles, check the link in our Sources.
Gallery: 3 Rare Pre-War Bikes - 2023 Hershey Auction
