THE LINES of the Brough Superior SS100, along with its performance, make it one of the most sought-after motorcycles.

When his ads referred to the Brough Superior as the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles, the bike’s reputation was such that the fussy carmaker did not object. By any estimation, the snobbery of Brough was justified; at that time his motorcycles cost more than a small cottage. While they were status symbols, they also won races and set speed records. Their singular look was not only considered avant garde in the early part of the 20th century, but was deemed such a transcendent design that it was once exhibited in New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

Because Brough Superiors were made to order, their specifications changed constantly, making each bike like a piece of haute couture. The top-of-the-line SS100 came with a signed guarantee that the bike had been timed at more than 100 mph, and even the more inexpensive models exuded an aura of elegance. While Americans associated motorcycles with the blue-collar hooliganism epitomized later by Marlon Brando’s character in The Wild One, the British viewed their bikes as precious national treasures. T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), perhaps the Brough Superior’s most famous collector, owned seven. He was killed riding one.

"I’m not the least bitinterested in the investment aspect," Jay Leno stresses, echoing the widespread sentiment among owners that places a love of the bike over the desire to sell and cash out.

Only 3,000 Brough Superiors were built between 1923 and 1939, and of those, few more than 1,000 survive today. They enjoy such a passionate following that most owners disdain the idea of purchasing one for investment purposes. Emotion aside, the machines have seen a startling rise in value in recent years. Bike aficionado Jay Leno, host of the Tonight Show, bought an SS100 for $10,000 in the 1980s. "Everybody thought I was out of my mind, paying that kind of money," he recalls. His instinct, however, was prescient; an SS100 in good condition now commands more than $100,000–not that he is selling. "I’m not the least bit interested in the investment aspect," he stresses, echoing the widespread sentiment among owners that places a love of the bike over the desire to sell and cash out.

However, Mike FitzSimons, a Connecticut-based collector and structural engineer who served as an officer for the Brough Superior Club for more than 20 years, is more matter-of-fact. "In the long run, nobody’s ever lost money buying a Brough Superior," he claims. "I’ve seen their prices easily double over the last five years."

Charisma in Motion
Most owners cite the bike’s design and attention to detail as fuel for their fascination. "I didn’t really buy it for investment. I bought it to ease this passion I have for motorcycles," explains collector Daniel Schoenewald, an entrepreneur in Southern California who raves about his SS100’s mechanical wonderment. Leno, who owns six Brough Superiors, is similarly stirred by their handcrafted workmanship and fine fitments. "There’s a great kinetic beauty about them; they have an intrinsic mechanicalness," he muses. "When you look at an old Brough, it’s like opening the back of an old watch–a quartz watch is more accurate, it’s just not as interesting."

Brough Superiors still draw attention because of their design. Their elongated chrome gas tanks are arguably the most exquisite in all of motorcycle history. In spite of visible pushrods and exposed valve trains, the engines are finished like jewelry. But while they were mechanically groundbreaking for their time, owners reiterate that their performance cannot compare to that of a modern bike. Regarding the SS100’s once-stellar top speed, Leno quips: "Now, you’re getting passed up by a woman in a Kia putting on her lipstick." John Pera, who maintains Leno’s collection in Los Angeles, also cites a common complaint about their stopping power. "They go like a bat out of hell," he says, "but their brakes don’t compare to their power. T.E. Lawrence could attest to that."