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A 1908 ultra-rare Harley-Davidson motorcycle discovered in a Wisconsin barn fetched the highest price ever paid for a motorcycle at auction: nearly $1 million.
Late in January, Mecum Auctions in Las Vegas reportedly sold the 114-year-old pig to an unidentified bidder for $935,000.
The bike is claimed to be one of just 12 “Strap Tank” motorcycles in the entire world, constructed with nickel-plated steel bands to suspend the fuel tanks from the frame.
It is regarded one of the first motorcycle models available to vintage gearheads.
The motorcycle, which resembles a current electric bicycle due to its thin frame and wheels, was discovered in 1941 by Wisconsin resident David Uihlein in fine condition, according to the auction house.
He kept it for the following 66 years, and it was recently repaired by Fort Wayne, Indiana, collector Paul Freehill.
Greg Arnold, motorcycle division manager at Mecum Auctions, told the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel, “We marketed the bike well, and Harley is by far the most well-known American motorcycle brand, so we had a feeling it would perform well at auction, but you are always surprised when you sell the most expensive bike ever.”
Vintagent, a website that records vintage motorcycle auctions, reported that the sale marked the highest amount ever paid at auction for a motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1903.
»Hog wild! The most expensive motorcycle in the world goes for about $1 million«