A battered and bruised Raleigh Chopper bike – found in a garden shed after more than 35 years – could surprise at auction despite its tatty condition.
The bike was discovered by its original owner in Stratford, Warwickshire – and swept him straight back to the summers of his childhood when he used to ride it. Nevertheless, such was its condition, he almost dumped it in a skip.
The seller, 50, said: “It was in my dad’s shed. I didn’t realise it was there, just rusting slowly. It was mine in the late 1970s and early 80s when I was nine or 10. It’s got the original gear shifter – not the later T-bar from those pesky safety people. It was great for wheelies and potholes!
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“I remember seeing the chopper advertised in Look-In, a kids’ magazine at the time. The advert featured a bike with a T-bar gear shifter but this one has a single-lever shifter. My dad came home with the Chopper. He bought it second hand from some chap.”
The Raleigh Chopper, with Sturmey Archer three-speed shift, is due to go under the hammer at Hanson Holloway’s and Ross in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on Saturday, April 2 with a guide price of £100-£200. Despite its poor condition, they auction house says it could do well.
Jasper Marsh, auctioneer and valuer at the firm, said: “It will certainly be interesting to see how it does. Choppers are iconic bikes from the 1970s and early 80s. They were in hot demand then and they’re in hot demand now – fuelled by nostalgia.
“The condition of this shed discovery isn’t great but it still evokes strong childhood memories. Back in the 1970s, the Chopper was the bike to own. Every cool kid wanted one. They looked good and they were great fun to ride.
“The joy they bought back then, together with their iconic design, have delivered some impressive auction results in recent years. For example, in 2020 a vintage 1970s MK2 Chopper in amazing condition sold for £1,250 at Hansons from an estimate of £400-£600. It had never been ridden and had been been stored in a bedroom.
“Our Chopper needs some serious TLC but I’m sure someone will enjoy the challenge of restoring it to its former glory. Such is the power of childhood nostalgia a good vintage Chopper is now worth more than its original retail price. In 1973 a Mk2 Raleigh Chopper cost around £34 – equivalent to £361 in today’s money.”
The Chopper, manufactured by Nottingham’s Raleigh Bicycle Company, stood out in the 1970s because of its ground-breaking good looks. However, its design has sparked debate with claims made by both Tom Karen of Ogle Design and Alan Oakley of Raleigh. The Chopper was designed in response to the Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle first manufactured in 1963.
The Raleigh Chopper, lot 372, will be offered in the Hanson Holloway’s and Ross April 2 Fine Art, Antiques and Collectors Auction.
Catalogue: www.hansonslive.co.uk or www.the-saleroom.com. To find out more, email: [email protected] or call 01295 817777.
