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LOT 215

1969 Wilier Mini Frame no. 8712 Engine no. 4815

Sold for US$805 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 215

1969 Wilier Mini
Frame no. 8712 Engine no. 4815

1969 Wilier Mini
Frame no. 8712
Engine no. 4815

While it may not be strictly accurate, Honda is thought to have been the inventor of the mini-bike, the bike 'which taught so many Americans how to ride.' In reality there were many manufacturers of the two genres from around the world in the late 1960s; the mini-bike (road) and the mini-trail (off-road). Pietro Dal Molin started Wilier Triestina, a bicycle shop, in the summer of 1906, on the banks of the Brenta in San Fortunato near the city of Trieste. The company name was an acronym for 'W l'Italia liberata e redenta.' (the 'W' is an abbreviation for 'Viva!') As in 'Long live Italy, liberated and redeemed.' When Wilier was founded, Trieste was not part of Italy thus its name reflected a patriotic desire for it to be rejoined. The Wilier trademark, bought by the Gastaldello brothers of Rossano, Veneto, in 1969, remains today as one of the world's foremost carbon fiber bicycle frame builders with a Tour de France victory under its belt courtesy of the late Marco Pantani. Virtually nothing is left of Wilier's exploration into the motorcycle market - no Bonhams specialist has ever seen a Wilier Mini-Bike before. This bike was first registered on 9/6/1968 by an Earl C. Hardy of Granada Hills, California and was last registered in 2012 to an Earl Rodrigues of Lake Hughes, California, who is thought to be the second owner. Its mileage was then recorded as 661 and it has not been ridden since that time. Thus, what is offered is an extremely rare, mystery mini-bike, complete with Morini Franco Motori 2-stroke (believed to be) of 50cc, which has seen minimal mileage and thus has very little wear and tear. It's an original survivor, a genuine Mini-Strada!

Footnotes

As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.

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  • 4 October 2019, 08:30 - 17:00 CDT
  • 5 October 2019, 08:30 - 11:30 CDT

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