2015: The Year a 1907 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank Sold for $715,000

One auction in 2015 set some serious precedents in the motorcycle auction realm. The time was this past March, the place was a Las Vegas Mecum auction, the collection was from from E.J. Cole, and the dollars were in the high hundreds of thousands.  Even before the final gavels, some were calling this the “most important motorcycle auction ever held.”

There were several extrmely notable sales at this auction. Insanely, a 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer once owned by Steve McQueen sold for $852,000. A 1907 Harley-Davidson Model 2 Strap Tank sold for a whopping $715,000. A 1911 Flying Merkel Board Track Racer sold for $423,500, and a 1942 Crocker raked $385,000. American history was making history once again.

This Strap Tank set the record for the most expensive Harley-Davidson ever sold at auction. Why? Harley-Davidson first displayed a V-Twin prototype motorcycle in 1907, and including prototypes, they went on to build only 207. This example is serial number #2037, which makes it the 37th built in 1907 and the 94th overall. Pair that with its, for being more than 100 years old, great condition, and you have probably the highest-sought Milwaukee bike out there. It was previously bought from a man named Leo Bongers in January 1993 in Nebraska.

[Via Hemmings]