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Old and new makes Bristol Show a huge ‘hit’

The gavel came down to launch a new Bonhams auction – complete with numerous ‘barn find’ motorcycles – while our new website launch has already attracted thousands of new users all keen to hit the site at the earliest opportunity.

The Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show, held at Shepton Mallet Showground over Saturday and Sunday, has traditionally been an early season highlight for thousands of classic motorcycle enthusiasts, and attendance for the 2012 event was up by almost 7.5% on 2011, with close on 20,000 people there over the two days.

And the record crowd had more than ever to see and do with two significant new launches at the show.

First was the Bonhams auction. While Bonhams has been a regular at the two enormous Stafford classic shows, this was the first time the auction house has been at Bristol. Stars of the auction were an enormous collection of ‘barn find’ old bikes from a single owner including bikes from the 1920s to the 1970s.

Bonhams first ever auction at Bristol grossed a fraction under £250,000 with 126 out of 130 lots sold. Brian Hill, MD of Mortons Media Group which runs the Bristol show, said: “The crowds this weekend show the strength of the classic scene and our magazines that support it. We were delighted to be working with our friends at Bonhams and thrilled to see the success of their first Bristol auction.”

The other big event at the show was the official launch of the Classic Bikers Club website, the biggest and best site in classic motorcycling.

The website is packed with archive articles and features from magazines dating back to the 1890s. All manner of information on all kinds of bikes should keep even the most knowledgeable enthusiast amused and informed.

Jason Williams, Mortons E-business manager said: “The response to the new site was phenomenal. Over the last few days people have been registering at the rate of one every minute. The eldest user so far is an 82-year-old gent who’s just bought his first computer. He absolutely loves the new site.”

Steve Rose, group editor at Mortons added: “We’re really pleased with the new site and the response from showgoers at Bristol suggests that they like it too. Once again we see how when someone gives them something that they like, the classic motorcycle community will turn out and support it. Bristol’s attendance, the Bonhams success and the amazing interest in the new website suggests another bumper year for lovers of old bikes."

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