The 32nd annual Mecum Auction Vintage and Antique Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas will feature an estimated 1,750 motorcycles, road art selections, and Jim’s Forever Collection, a must-see for Harley enthusiasts. Jim’s Forever Collection consists of more than 100 motorcycles, many of which are Harleys, including a Panhead from nearly every year of production, as well as many lightweight, single-cylinder, two-stroke models. Read the press release below for more information.
Mecum Auctions’ 32nd annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction will return to South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this Jan. 25-28, with headlining consignments for the world’s largest vintage motorcycle auction led by Jim’s Forever Collection, to be offered at entirely no reserve.
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The assemblage features more than 100 motorcycles and quite possibly the largest private collection of Harley-Davidson memorabilia ever offered at auction — a significant portion of which is already available for online bids via Mecum On Time. In total, the Las Vegas auction will feature an estimated 1,750 motorcycles crossing the block throughout the four live auction days as well as additional road art selections.
Coming out of Mendon, Ohio, Jim’s Forever Collection represents the longtime pursuits of Jim Godwin, the former Harley-Davidson dealer behind Jim’s Forever museum. Godwin opened Jim’s Harley-Davidson in a car-and-a-half garage behind his brother’s house in 1961 after discovering a passion for motorcycles while serving in the U.S. Army. The dealership expanded over the following 60 years, with Godwin finally retiring in 2021 and refocusing his efforts on his personal collection he’d been amassing since first becoming a dealer.
Today encompassing more than 100 motorcycles, Jim’s Forever Collection features an unsurprisingly heavy dose of Harley-Davidsons, ranging from the company’s entry into the lightweight market and motorcycles powered by Panheads, to the recognizable models of more modern times. The lightweight, single-cylinder, two-stroke models make up perhaps the largest grouping within the collection, with offerings from Godwin including a 1948 Model 125 S (Lot S98) showing just two miles, a 1955 Hummer B (Lot S252) that is one of just 1,040 produced, a 1962 Scat (Lot F95) showing a low 5,552 miles that is one of just 993 produced, and much more.
Another unique aspect of the collection is that it features a motorcycle from nearly every model year the Panhead was offered, starting with a 1949 EL Panhead showing zero miles on the odometer and ending with a 1965 FLH Electra Glide Panhead, as well as first- and second-year examples of the bike often referred to as the first factory custom motorcycle: a 1971 FX Super-Glide and a 1972 model, both with the No. 1 Stars-and-Stripes Harley-Davidson logo on their tanks. Others within the collection include Liberty, Anniversary, and Bicentennial editions and first and final-year examples of Harley-Davidson’s Sturgis models, Knuckleheads, and more are also present within.
In addition, a vast selection of road art from the Jim’s Forever Collection will join the lineup in Las Vegas this January, with items to be offered both live at auction and via weekly online auctions through Mecum’s timed online auction platform, Mecum On Time. Live auction items will be unveiled over the coming months at Mecum.com, while several themed On Time auctions are already underway at OnTime.Mecum.com, with many more to follow.
Those interested in consigning a motorcycle for auction at Mecum’s 2023 Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction can find complete details about the consignment process and pricing at Mecum’s website. Bidder registration is available online in advance and on-site at the auction starting at $100, and standard, in-person bidding includes admission for two persons to the four auction days. For those unable to attend in person, enhanced remote bidding options are also available, including for both online and telephone bidding.
General admission tickets are available in advance online for $20 per person, per day, and for $30 at the door and online after Jan. 24; children 12 and younger receive complimentary admission.
For more information on the 2023 Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction and all other scheduled auctions, visit Mecum’s website, which is updated daily with the latest consignments and includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the vehicles to be offered. For schedule information, to consign a vehicle, or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum events, visit Mecum’s website or call 262-275-5050 for more information.
Auction Schedule
Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycles 2023
Jan. 25-28, 2023
South Point Hotel & Casino
9777 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89183
Bidder Registration: Options for in-person, telephone and internet bidding start at $100
Admission: $20 in advance online, and $30 at the door and online after Jan. 24-per person, per day; children 12 and younger receive complimentary admission
