BMW R 18 'Il Leone Edition' Owned By Former Formula One Champion Nigel Mansell To Be Auctioned

BMW R 18 'Il Leone Edition'. (Doc. RM Sotheby's)

JAKARTA - Since BMW introduced R 18 in 2020, this bike has been the basis for many custom projects that have been circulating in the world. Some were made at BMW's request, and some weren't.

However, one of the R 18 custom will be auctioned from 4 to 11 October 2023 by RM Sotheby's. However, the motorbike being auctioned is not a bike but part of the collection of Formula One champions, Nigel Mansell, will be offered to the highest bidder.

Apart from the custom R 18, there are several items related to motorbikes that are also auctioned. One of them is Mansell's Honda ST 70 'Ferrari' pit bike, which comes from a short time with the Ferrari Formula One team.

BMW R 18 'Il Leone Edition' in 2020 is one of only 31 custom bikes in the Mansell Collection on the Island of Jersey according to Greg Mansell, son of Nigel Mansell who is responsible for his father's collections.

According to Greg Mansell, quoted from Rideapart, August 29, he and Steve "Custom Bike Steve" total this custom as a tribute to Nigel Mansell. They changed the ergonomics to reflect the spirit of BMW racing motorcycles in the 1930s and 1940s.

However, they also made other changes, such as taking the original solo seat on R 18 and turning it into a double seat so that drivers can carry passengers if they want. Wide hand has also been changed, and now there is a special number plate painted on the side with Il Leone's striking red "5" number.

Then there are a number of other details added, ranging from finishing custom to original wood accents (a tribute to the wood knob shift in Nigel Mansell's F1 Williams), to hand coupling and foot coupling.

The estimated price ranges from 20,000 to 40,000 pounds (around Rp385 million to Rp770 million).