Pope’s Harley-Davidson fetches €299,000 for Charity
Paris, 8 February 2014: In a bidding war that took six minutes, Pope Francis' 1,585cc
Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide sold for €241,500 (£200,200). A Harley-Davidson motorcycle
jacket also sold for an astounding €57,500 (£47,700) at the sale which took place
as part of Bonhams' Les Grandes Marques du Monde sale at the Grand Palais in Paris
on Thursday.
Watched by a crowd of hundreds, the Harley-Davidson and the leather
jacket were the first two lots of the 45-strong motorcycle sale to go under the hammer.
The items, which were donated to Pope Francis by the motorcycle manufacturer in June
2013, were bought by separate bidders – with the motorcycle going to a private buyer
in Europe, and the jacket to an overseas buyer.
Funds raised by the machine
and the jacket will go towards the renovation of the Caritas Roma's Don Luigi di Liegro
hostel and soup kitchen based at Rome's Termini railway station. The hostel opened
30 years ago to help the homeless, jobless and the poor, and the money raised by the
Harley Davidson's sale will allow it to continue to provide food and accommodation
to more than 1,000 people in need every day.
Signed on the tank by his Holiness
at a special ceremony at the Vatican in November, the machine was also sold with a
certificate of conformity from Harley-Davidson. The jacket was also signed by Pope
Francis. Ben Walker, head of motorcycles at Bonhams, said: "I am thrilled with
the result achieved and am very pleased for the charity. It has to be a world record
for a twenty-first century Harley-Davidson and certainly for a Harley-Davidson leather
jacket." Enrico Feroci, director of Caritas Roma, added: "We are delighted with
the results of the sale, which far exceeded any of our expectations. "We would like
to thank Bonhams for their professionalism with handling the motorcycle and for all
their efforts in helping us to achieve such an amazing result."
Bonhams, founded
in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present
company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips
Son & Neale. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives
in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas.
Source: VR Sedoc