Daniel Craig, who played Agent 007 James Bond in No Time To Die, is auctioning off two of his limited-edition Triumph motorcycles associated with the movie to benefit the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
One of the bikes is the #001 Triumph Tiger 900 Bond Edition, and the other is the #003 Triumph Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition—both from a series of 250 motorcycles. Bonhams|Cars Motorcycles auction house will offer the bikes at the Autumn Stafford Sale on October 12 and 13 as part of the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Staffordshire Showground, 30 miles north of Birmingham in England.
“We are honored to be the auction house of choice, collaborating with three exceptional British institutions—The RNLI, Triumph Motorcycles, and Daniel Craig on this exciting and important project, especially on the RNLI’s 200th anniversary,” James Stensel, Head of Bonhams|Cars Motorcycles in the UK stated. “Triumph and Daniel Craig’s donation of two such evocative and thrilling motorcycles for this worthy cause is truly inspiring.”
To enhance the value of the low-number motorcycles, they are sold with Craig’s hand-written signatures (tank on the Tiger, side cover and exhaust guard on the Scrambler), a certificate of authenticity signed by Craig and Triumph Motorcycles CEO Nick Bloor, and the original V5C documents with Craig’s name
A value-added bonus is a ride at Triumph Adventure Experience in Wales with Craig’s Bond stunt double, Paul Edmundson, and Bond stunt coordinator Lee Morrison. “The riding experience with Lee Morrison and Paul Edmondson adds another unique and exciting dynamic to the lots,” Craig notes. “I worked with Lee on Casino Royale, all the way through to No Time To Die.”
Craig’s association with the RNLI dates back to his childhood, as he explains: “The RNLI has been close to my heart all my life since growing up near the RNLI station at Hoylake. I have incredible memories of going afloat with the RNLI crew at Ramsgate to experience firsthand what it’s like to be part of the organization that has saved over 146,000 lives since starting up over 200 years ago. I am honored and immensely proud to support the RNLI and hope the auction of Triumph’s Limited Edition Bond motorcycles proves popular.”
The RNLI is a lifeboat service for the British Isles that operates around the clock. Additionally, it has seasonal lifeguard patrols near beaches and sends out warnings to prevent problems before they happen. Volunteers comprise 95 percent of the RNLI staffing, and the organization relies on donations to perform its lifesaving work.
Bloor noted, “Triumph is delighted to support the 200th anniversary of the RNLI with this auction of two unique Bond motorcycles spearheaded by Daniel Craig. We wish all bidders the very best of luck with the auction of Daniel Craig’s Scrambler 1200 and Tiger 900 Bond Limited Editions, which are both unique motorcycles in Triumph’s history, and I hope that the winners enjoy the unique experience of riding with the incredible stunt riders Lee Morrison and Paul Edmondson. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
Previous celebrity-linked Triumph motorcycles that Bonhams|Cars Motorcycles have sold that fetched six figures include The Fonz’ 1949 Triumph Trophy Custom ($231,562), Steve McQueen’s 1938 Triumph 5T Speed Twin ($175,500) and a 1963 Triumph Bonneville desert racer that was owned by McQueen, modified for racing by Bud Ekins, and painted by Von Dutch ($103,500).
Estimated sales prices for the #001 Triumph Tiger 900 Bond Edition and the #003 Triumph Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition from Craig are considerably lower. Other motorcycles to be auctioned off at the Autumn Stafford Sale that are expected to go for six figures include a 1913 Flying Merkel Twin formerly owned by Ekins, a 1936 Vincent HDR Series-A Rapide that was a factory display bike at the 1936 Olympia Motorcycle Show, and a 1928 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sport.
