1958 Mike Hailwood 250cc Crystal Palace-Winning Trophy *

1958 was a great year for 19 year old Mike as he went on to become a serious contender in the world season that year – by the end of which he was fourth in the world 250cc championships and sixth in the 350cc championships. He was also the British champion in the 125cc and 350cc classes – results that when added up amounted to 74 firsts and 38 new lap records.

Much of that success was on his NSU Sportmax – the brainchild of NSU’s design chief, Albert Roder – a solid and reliable over the counter racer. Its overhead cam design helped reduce the overall height of the engine and contributed to the NSU’s reliability as a race bike. Originally sold predominantly to German racers, a genuine Sportmax developed around 28bhp at 9,000rpm, but by 1955 that figure was nearer 30bhp.

Mike was not the only motorcycle racer to achieve success that year as this extract from a contemporary report from the 1958 Easter Meeting at Crystal Palace suggests.

"1958 produced a vintage crop of budding stars with Derek Minter, Joe Dunphy and Phil Read all making their Palace debuts together with a certain S. M. B. Hailwood whom the programme notes described as a 'young up and coming rider' - somewhat of an understatement! Young Mike duly proceeded to sweep the board at the Palace that year winning four Classes but the only lap record that fell to him was the 125cc on his Ducati".

This elegant silver trophy was awarded to Mike for his win in the 250cc race on the NSU and is engraved to the underside 'Crystal Palace Road Races  Easter Monday Meeting 1st 250cc Class 67.06mph Mike Hailwood NSU'.

Offered without Reserve.