Sign up for 
Posted October 8, 2007
Email
Print
Peter Calles, his 1971 MV Agusta 750 Sport and the Jim Davis trophy it won. Calles will take home the traveling trophy until next year's Concours d'Elegance.
(Photos by Bill Andrews)
Persistence pays off: Peter Calles' rare MV Agusta 750 Sport was a hard bike to find, but it wins top prize at the Concours d'Elegance
Derek (left) and Don (right) Rickman pose with Robert Simpson and his CR750.
Rickman brothers pick a winner
Two of the 2007 inductees in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame were Derek and Don Rickman, motocross racers whose desire to go faster eventually led them into a successful career building frames for all kinds of motorcycles. With the brothers on hand for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, a special category for Rickman specials was established in this year's Concours.
The brothers themselves did the judging, choosing to award first prize to this 1974 CR750 owned by Robert Simpson.
Simpson first spotted the Honda-powered CR750, which had been wrecked and left in storage, when he was buying another vintage bike from the CR's owner. Simpson said "it took about 15 years of pestering" to convince the owner to sell.
Once he finally had the CR, Simpson replaced the shattered parts (fortunately, the unique frame was straight and just needed some polishing) and restored it to its original beauty. The men who originally built it 23 years earlier clearly approved.
As a collector, Peter Calles is a man who knows exactly what he wants. One thing he wanted was an MV Agusta 750 Sport. But not just any 750 Sport. Specifically, he wanted an early model with the drum front brake and its distinctively sculpted gas tank.
The number of those made is in the low triple digits, however, so merely finding one was a challenge. Through a friend, Calles got in touch with the owner of a 750 Sport who was so paranoid about his rare bike that he kept it hidden away and let very few people even know that he owned it.
Calles went to work.
"It took me five years negotiating off and on to buy this bike," Calles said. Eventually, the owner of the MV Agusta wanted to buy a house, and needed the cash badly enough to agree to sell the motorcycle to Calles.
Which is good luck for the rest of us. Because instead of being hidden away, Calles' 1971 MV Agusta 750 Sport is on display -- most notably at the 2007 Concours d'Elegance at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum on October 6, 2007, where it won the Jim Davis Best in Show trophy.
That means Calles will take the Jim Davis traveling trophy home to keep for a year, until the 2008 Concours. Calles has a spot for it in the living room of his Bethesda, Maryland home. Which happens to be where he regularly parks the MV Agusta.
The MV Agusta was just one of the many rare and beautiful machines
arrayed on the grounds of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum for this year's
Concours d'Elegance. The invitation-only show was part of the special
weekend of activities that culminated with the annual Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony.
See more photos and a complete list of prize winners below.
Scenes from the 2007 Concours d'Elegance:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Complete list of winners at the 2007 Concours d'Elegance:
| Jim Davis Best in Show Trophy | ||
| Peter Calles | 1971 MV Agusta 750 Sport | |
| Preservation Award | ||
| First | Terry Adreon | 1934 Harley-Davidson VD |
| Second | Gene Brown | 1969 Velocette Thruxton |
| Motor Music Award | ||
| First | Peter Calles | 1940 Triumph Tiger 100 |
| Second | Dennis Copley | 1972 Harley-Davidson XR/Buell |
| Director's Industrial Elegance Award | ||
| Jerry Romano | 1929 Velocette KN | |
| Don & Derek Rickman's Choice | ||
| First | Robert Simpson | 1974 Honda CR750 |
| Second | Don Rosene | 1970 BSA Westlake |
| American to 1953 | ||
| First | Terry Adreon | 1934 Harley-Davidson VD |
| Second | Mark Radtke | 1947 Indian Chief |
| Third | Kenneth Minnich | 1936 Indian Four |
| American 1954-1975 | ||
| First | Jerry Weltlich | 1965 Harley-Davidson Sprint |
| Second | Ron Germadnik | 1957 Harley-Davidson FL |
| Third | Stephen Rosenstiel | 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster |
| British to 1964 | ||
| First | Jerry Romano | 1963 BSA A10 |
| Second | Donald Beadle | 1939 BSA B21 |
| Third | Jim and Joan Vandergriff | 1917 Triumph H |
| British 1965-1975 | ||
| First | Gene Brown | 1969 Velocette Thruxton |
| Second | Danny Selman | 1967 Triumph Saint |
| Third | Bobby Sullivan, owner, restored by Ryan Bisset |
1968 Triumph TR6C |
| European to 1964 | ||
| First | Cid Vance | 1962 Ducati Falcon-50 |
| Second | Kenneth Gluckman | 1952 BMW R67/2 |
| Third | Cloyd Spahr | 1958 BMW R69 |
| European 1965-1975 | ||
| First | Peter Calles | 1972 Ducati 750 Sport |
| Second | Peter Calles | 1970 Ducati MKIII |
| Third | Dan Kean | 1969 Bultaco Metralla |
| Japanese to 1970 | ||
| First | Thomas Sanecki | 1966 Suzuki X6 Hustler |
| Second | Dal Smilie | 1964 Honda CL72 Scrambler |
| Third | Richard Stemmler | 1966 Honda CA77 Dream |
| Japanese 1971-1975 | ||
| First | Paulette and Jim Turner | 1973 Kawasaki Z1 |
| Second | Steve Passwater | 1975 Honda CB400F |
| Third | Fred Antrican | 1973 Kawasaki Z1 |
| Competition to 1969 | ||
| First | John Melniczuk | 1955 Triumph T100R |
| Second | Jeff Christy | 1958 Harley-Davidson KHRTT |
| Third | Jerry Dean | 1959 Ducati 125 Gran Sport |
| Competition 1970-1975 | ||
| First | Jim Oldiges | 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750 |
| Second | Mike McSween | 1972 Kawasaki H2 |
| Third | Rob Phillips | 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross |
| Specials and Customs to 1975 | ||
| First | Brent Mayfield | 1948 Harley-Davidson EL |
| Second | James Graulty | 1969 Harley-Davidson XLCH |
| Third | Monty Burch | 1972 Triumph "Special" |