LOT 342
1930 Brough Superior Overhead 680 Project Registration no. GK 5804 (see text) Frame no. H 1015 Engine no. GTO/H 8765/S
Sold for £18,400 inc. premium
Lot 342
1930 Brough Superior Overhead 680 Project
The Autumn Stafford Sale - The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show|12 October 2025, 11:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground
1930 Brough Superior Overhead 680 Project
Registration no. GK 5804 (see text)
Frame no. H 1015
Engine no. GTO/H 8765/S
Registration no. GK 5804 (see text)
Frame no. H 1015
Engine no. GTO/H 8765/S
• Purchased in the early 1960s
• Dismantled and stored since acquisition
• Offered for restoration
With the SS80 and SS100 well established by the mid-1920s, George Brough decided to add a smaller and cheaper alternative to these two 1-litre models to the range. JAP was already producing a 674cc sidevalve v-twin engine and this unit, redesigned to accommodate overhead valves, went into Brough's new 'Overhead 680'. First shown at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in 1926, the 'Miniature SS100', as George Brough called it, entered production for 1927. The new middleweight Brough was an instant success and for the 1930 season was joined by a version to higher specification: the 'Black Alpine 680', a reference to the lavishly equipped SS100 Alpine Grand Sports and the fact that the newcomer boasted a distinctive all-black eggshell finish. Principal mechanical difference from the standard Overhead 680 was the adoption of the patented Bentley & Draper spring frame.
In the early 1960s, owner David Ilsley bought this Brough Superior Overhead 680, 'GK 5804', for use as a spare parts donor. (He already owned another OHV 680, 'OG 2587', also in this sale.) To the Ilsley family's knowledge, this motorcycle was never ridden but, in various forms of disassembly, it has followed David and his wife Jo around ever since.
Copy Works Record cards kindly supplied by the Brough Superior Club reveal that the frame , engine and fuel tank started life in three different Overhead 680s: 'H 1015' in a Black Alpine with Bentley & Draper spring frame; 'GTO/H 8765/S' in Black Alpine 'H 1031'; and tank 'H 2156' in Overhead 680 'J952'. The registration 'GK 5804' relates to the engine 'GTO/H 8765/S', not to frame 'H 1015'. There is no other known history.
Dismantled over 60 years ago, the Brough comes with an old-style logbook for the registration 'GK 5804', though that registration does not appear on the DVSA/HPI database. Accordingly, prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to the validity of the VRN prior to bidding.
Key not required
• Dismantled and stored since acquisition
• Offered for restoration
With the SS80 and SS100 well established by the mid-1920s, George Brough decided to add a smaller and cheaper alternative to these two 1-litre models to the range. JAP was already producing a 674cc sidevalve v-twin engine and this unit, redesigned to accommodate overhead valves, went into Brough's new 'Overhead 680'. First shown at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in 1926, the 'Miniature SS100', as George Brough called it, entered production for 1927. The new middleweight Brough was an instant success and for the 1930 season was joined by a version to higher specification: the 'Black Alpine 680', a reference to the lavishly equipped SS100 Alpine Grand Sports and the fact that the newcomer boasted a distinctive all-black eggshell finish. Principal mechanical difference from the standard Overhead 680 was the adoption of the patented Bentley & Draper spring frame.
In the early 1960s, owner David Ilsley bought this Brough Superior Overhead 680, 'GK 5804', for use as a spare parts donor. (He already owned another OHV 680, 'OG 2587', also in this sale.) To the Ilsley family's knowledge, this motorcycle was never ridden but, in various forms of disassembly, it has followed David and his wife Jo around ever since.
Copy Works Record cards kindly supplied by the Brough Superior Club reveal that the frame , engine and fuel tank started life in three different Overhead 680s: 'H 1015' in a Black Alpine with Bentley & Draper spring frame; 'GTO/H 8765/S' in Black Alpine 'H 1031'; and tank 'H 2156' in Overhead 680 'J952'. The registration 'GK 5804' relates to the engine 'GTO/H 8765/S', not to frame 'H 1015'. There is no other known history.
Dismantled over 60 years ago, the Brough comes with an old-style logbook for the registration 'GK 5804', though that registration does not appear on the DVSA/HPI database. Accordingly, prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to the validity of the VRN prior to bidding.
Key not required
Footnotes
All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.
Please see the Auction Information and Guide for Buyers at the top of the main sale page, for bidders' obligations. The Autumn Stafford Sale
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This Lot will be auctioned on Sunday 12 October, with the auction starting at 11am GMT.
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