Rare Velocette LE 'Noddy bike' to be auctioned after garage discovery

This refers, of course, to a Velocette LE, a post-war motorcycle that has been described by transport experts as one of the most innovative machines ever made – silent, safe, weatherproof and ultra-economical.

It was a great favourite with the nation’s police forces in the pre-Panda car 1950s and 60s, which is how it acquired its Noddy nickname. Officers patrolling on their LEs were excused from the obligation to salute senior officers and were permitted to simply nod.

The machine extracted from the North Lincolnshire garage is a Mark III, one of the last versions designed in the 1940s to provide cheap, clean, and reliable transport for the ordinary chap.

The Mark III arrived in 1958, a 200cc water-cooled side valve machine that was so quiet that riders claimed they sometimes had to look at the ignition light to check that the engine was running. It had a top speed of 53 miles an hour and could do 120 miles to the gallon.

So a fine machine but it was sadly never the hoped-for mass-market success. Initially, it cost £126, but a BSA Bantam could be had for £76. In the 50s and 60s it was swamped by the scooter boom. By 1971 it was all over, with the company in liquidation.

All that means that it was never produced in vast numbers and survivors are not so common today.

The 546 UTB registration plate of the Velocette LE going under the hammer in Eddisons’ July Collective Auction next Tuesday indicates that it first took to the roads in Lancashire in the early 1960s. While it seems it hasn't been run for some time, it has been in dry storage, which is reflected in its condition.

It is being sold together with a variety of spare parts and a large quantity of LE Velo Club magazines and other paperwork.

Incidentally, the same North Lincolnshire garage also produced several vintage bicycles, including an air raid warden’s bike. (Looks like a standard 1940s machine but does have prominent A.R.P. signage below the crossbar, presumably to clear the warden’s way as he pedals into action.)

The auction also includes a large private collection of model boats, ranging from sailing ships and fishing vessels to rescue craft and speedboats. The most impressive is a large model of the Victorian paddle steamer Britannia.

The monthly Eddisons online collective sales in North Lincolnshire are always worth a look, featuring an astonishing array of goods and equipment from all over the country. Tuesday’s auction includes IT and E-gaming equipment, garden machinery, professional-quality gymnasium and fitness kit, vehicles, and even carpeting.

The catalogue is available at auctions.eddisons.com. Viewing is 10am-4pm on Monday at the auction centre on Dunlop Way in Scunthorpe. The online auction is scheduled to end at 1pm on Tuesday.