115-Year-Old Motorcycle fetch up to £60,000

One of the first motorcycles ever built is to be auctioned by Bonhams. The historic piece of kit was built by Hildebrand & Wolfmuller in Munich around 1895, and it is expected to fetch up to £60,000.

A spokeswoman for Bonhams described it as "the find of the decade." She added: "This wonderful machine represents the ultimate acquisition for the serious private collector or any museum devoted to the history of powered transport and is estimated at £40,000 – 60,000."

With a top speed of 30mph, critical opinion suggests perhaps only 800 of them were ever made. It was large engined for its time and could produce 1488cc.

Fascinatingly, it was the first bike to ever attract the label of 'motorcycle', which stems from the German word 'motorrad'. The contraption was last ridden way back in the 1930s.