MASTER COLLECTOR

Master Collector: Brown M. Maloney

From ACM to the Auction Block: The Northwest 100 Collection

After 15 months on display at LeMay – America’s Car Museum, ACM Master Collector Brown Maloney’s 100-piece Honda collection headed to the world’s largest motorcycle auction in Las Vegas. The annual Mecum auction occurred January 21-26, 2020 and produced a number of world record sales results, including a few from Maloney’s benchmark Northwest 100 collection. The collection included pristine examples of Honda road, race and specialty motorcycles. “I’ve been very meticulous about collecting low-mileage original bikes. I started buying these out of garages 30 years ago and a lot of them were from long-term or even original owners,” said Maloney. The exhibition at ACM helped Maloney in his decision to part with his large collection. “It just made sense that this was the time. The fact that they had already been gone (on display) for a year, in my mind it helped wrap my arms around the idea of selling them,” said Maloney Maloney had faith in the market, trusting Mecum Auctions to deliver qualified buyers. The results were a sale of 95 of 100 bikes offered at both Reserve and No Reserve bid price, meaning all but five bikes sold. He also credits ACM. “The exposure at the Museum added credibility to the collection,” said Maloney “I thoroughly enjoyed the staff at ACM and its dedicated volunteers. It’s been fun. You get exotics like Ferraris and rare cars there, but common Japanese motorbikes are something the average man and woman can relate to. What was displayed was the history of Honda in the United States from 1959-forward. It’s a little emotional because something at this level and at this depth is unlikely to be replicated again,” said Maloney. The Northwest 100 was the second prominent exhibit to be featured by America’s Car Museum before going on to reach a world-record price with Mecum Auctions just this past year. The famous 1968 Ford Mustang movie car from Bullitt fetched $3.74 million at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida, auction on January 10, 2020 after its display at ACM.

Ann Sweeney — ACM Sales Manager Ashley Bice — AAT National Strategic Initiatives Officer Candida Romanelli — AAT Steering Committee

Dorothy Minnich — AOW Education Gil Campell — AAT Steering Committee Kelsey Cross — ACM Education

Kristen Wells — Club Auto & Membership Development Director Linda Merkel — AOW Executive Director Liz Hahn — AOW Director of Sales & Events Lyn St. James — AAT Steering Committee, RPM Ambassador

Patricia Borgardt — ACM Guest Services Manager Nora Flemming de Sandoval — ACM Education Pam Rosen — AAT Steering Committee