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.

Developed from its long line of highly successful multi-cylinder racers, MV Agusta's first road-going four - the 4C, a twin-carburettor, 600cc, shaft-driven tourer - appeared in 1965. But the public demanded something more exciting from many-times World Champions MV, and the Gallarate manufacturer duly obliged in 1968, upping capacity to 743cc and further boosting maximum power (to 65bhp) by fitting a quartet of Dell'Orto carburettors to the revised 750S, a high-speed symphony in red, white and blue. Perhaps surprisingly for a sports model, the 750S retained the 4C's shaft final drive while the frame too was virtually identical to that of its predecessor.

Hand made in limited numbers and priced accordingly, the 750S was way beyond the financial reach of the average enthusiast. Marque specialist Mick Walker got to try a mint, low mileage example in 1983, recording the event in his book 'MV Agusta Fours': "The experience was unique; the rider was transported to a different level, and made to feel really special. There was certainly a pronounced 'feel-good factor'."

Although no lightweight - it weighed nearly as much as a Kawasaki Z1 - the 750S gave little away in outright performance terms to such larger machinery, thanks, no doubt, to its engine's Grand Prix heritage. Testing a 750S in 1975, Bike magazine found the motor very powerful: "Surprisingly it also has great reserves of torque and pulls happily from four thousand. It's probably the most powerful 750cc motor made; in a straight drag with a Z1 it lost only a few yards up to 100mph."

In 1976 the 750S was replaced by the 750S America. Bored out to 789cc, the America produced a claimed 75bhp, an output sufficient to propel the Italian sportster to 100mph in around 13 seconds and on to a top speed of 135mph. Production of the 750S America ceased in February 1979. Bike rated the 750S as, "one of the most dramatic-looking bikes made, the real stuff of legend". Few would disagree.

The MV Agusta 750S America was purchased during the private vendors' honeymoon in Spain in 1986. They discovered the MV at the Motos Javier dealership in Pamplona. The dealer had previously sold the bike and later bought it back from the same owner; it was said to have once belonged to a Spanish count, although no documented history from that period is available. The MV was not intended for sale, but after some negotiation, the owner agreed to part with it. In the summer of 1987 the private vendors rode the bike back to Norway. Once home, it underwent a comprehensive refurbishment, including a full engine overhaul, replacement of the exhaust system and suspension components, as well as new instruments. In 1988, the MV was registered for road use in Norway as an historic vehicle. This classification required that original components and specifications be retained, even when they did not fully comply with contemporary regulations. The America's fairing was bought from the MV Agusta Owners Club GB, who also supplied the four-pipe exhaust system, replacing an incorrect 4-into-1. The private vendors advise us that the engine has been serviced with original parts.

As well as shorter trips within the Nordic countries, the MV has also travelled to the Isle of Man to attend a gathering organised by the MV Agusta Owners Club GB. It has also been taken back to Spain to be shown to the original seller following its restoration. After the lady vendor's husband, and later their son, began competing in road racing, the MV was retired to heated storage as both time and resources were devoted to this new pursuit. Registered up to 1995 and last ridden early in 1991, this motorcycle will need recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Offered with a Norwegian registration document.
Offered with key