This Lot has arrived in the UK from overseas under Temporary Admission. Shippio Ltd must complete all post-sale customs clearance administration, for import or export, on behalf of the purchaser. A compulsory fee of £195 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this service. This Lot may not be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any third-party transporter until Shippio Ltd has confirmed that this Lot has cleared customs.

If this Lot is to remain in the UK, or is not exported within 90 days of the sale, Import VAT at 5% of the hammer price will be payable.

On Wednesday 30th June 1937, a specially prepared Empire Star 500 ridden by the great Wal Handley achieved a 100mph lap of the Brooklands circuit on its way to a debut race victory and award of the Gold Star that would give BSA's new super sports model its evocative name. Possibly the most successful production racing motorcycle ever, the post-war Gold Star formed the mainstay of Clubman's racing in the 1950s. In fact, it was the model's domination of the Isle of Man Clubman's TT which led to the event being dropped after Gold Star rider Bernard Codd's 1956 Senior/Junior double victory. Post-WW2, the Gold Star did not return to the BSA range until 1949. First displayed at the Earls Court Show in 1948, the 350cc ZB32 Goldie boasted the telescopic front fork first introduced on BSAs larger models for 1946 and came equipped with a new alloy cylinder barrel and 'head. For 1950 a 500cc version – the ZB34 – was added to the range and this larger Goldie was the first to switch to the new die-cast top-end, with separate rocker box, in 1951. The 350 followed suit in 1952 and the pair continued as the 'BB' Gold Stars after the new swinging arm frame was introduced in 1953.

The motorcycle offered here comprises a circa-1949 plunger frame, which could originally have formed part of any one of four different models (B31, B32, B33 or B34), together with the engine from a ZB32 Gold Star dating from circa 1951. An older restoration, the machine currently displays a total of 1,130 miles on the odometer, believed to represent the distance covered since the rebuild, and would respond well to detailing. At the time of cataloguing, the engine was noted to turn over.

Our vendor purchased the BSA from the renowned Verralls dealership in March 1994, at which point it was registered HWD 910. This VRN (vehicle registration number) remains live on both the DVLA and HPI databases; however, prospective bidders should satisfy themselves that the VRN is valid and ,if need be , recoverable following the machine's importation into the UK. Since its purchase by the vendor, the motorcycle has remained on static display as part of a private collection (copy correspondence on file).

Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
Offered without key