The Bowden Spacelander was designed in 1949 in only five colors, charcoal black being the rarest. There were only 522 of the space-age-style bicycles ever produced in 1960. It was thus predictable that this Spacelander in the rare and desirable charcoal black color would be the sale’s top lot — and it was, selling on HiBid for $18,360 to private gentleman from Kansas City, who came in to Carrell’s gallery to personally view the bicycle, according to Josh Carrell.
Review by W.A. Demers
INDEPENDENCE, MO. — Since there were only 522 ever produced in 1960, it was a cinch that one of Benjamin George Bowden’s (1906–1998) Spacelander bicycles, especially the rare and desirable charcoal black model, would rocket to the top of Carrell Auction’s July 28 online auction on HiBid, selling for $18,360. The Bowden Spacelander was designed in 1949 in only five colors, charcoal black being the most rare. Bowden, a British industrial designer, was primarily known for his work on automobiles and bicycles. Unfortunately, at the time, a space-age bicycle turned out to be commercially unsuccessful when in production. Now, it’s a collector’s item, the winning collector a private gentleman from Kansas City who came in to personally view the bicycle, according to head auctioneer, Josh Carrell.
Carrell’s online auction dispersed rare examples from the single-owner antique and vintage bicycle and motorbikes collection of Gary Long. Long is the former owner of Cycle Works bicycle shop in Lawrence, Kan. In his collection, he had antique high-wheel and wooden rim bicycles, vintage motorbikes and motorcycles as well as all the repair equipment and related parts that went with them. In this sale, the concentration was on vintage mid-weight and lightweight bicycles, including Schwinn Krates, Stingrays, tank bicycles and balloon tire bikes. It was — for the serious antique and vintage bicycle collector — a once in a lifetime opportunity to own part of Long’s historic collection.
The sale’s total was $88,482 and there were 200 bidders, some international but mostly domestic from all over the United States.
A 1988 Schwinn Paramount special edition bicycle with a rare full 50th anniversary Campagnolo equipment realized $5,260.
Dr Tamara Carrell, co-owner, reflected on the sale, saying, “This was a pretty good auction for a small, Midwestern auction house. Several pieces sold for full retail or more, which is not bad in a semi-soft market. As with all auctions, some pieces over-performed and a few under-performed. There were only a handful of lots that went unsold: miscellaneous parts etc. Mr Long was well-pleased with the results and awaits part two of his estate, which includes a 1933 Goudey set of baseball cards, including Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. These were sent to PSA for grading and thus the sale will be conducted in October when the cards come back. The second half of Long’s sale will feature antiques and vintage toys, as well as the 1933 Goudey set.
“There was tremendous interest in the bicycle auction in the regional Midwest. Many collectors have come to us expressing interest in consigning their bicycles, which has prompted Carrell Auctions to offer a consignment-based classic bicycles and motorcycles auction late spring of 2025. We received numerous feedback about how wonderful it is to have an auction house that actually understands the bicycles they are selling.”
Josh Carrell has been a bicycle collector for more than 30 years and has developed an expertise in this area, as well as a large network of bicycle collectors across the United States.
A 1988 Schwinn Paramount special edition bicycle with rare full 50th anniversary Campagnolo equipment drew a winning bid of $5,260. In 1988, Schwinn celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Paramount model. All bikes built during that model year received a special 50th Anniversary decal. There were extra goodies, too, as Schwinn offered the special edition frameset, designed to be both ridable and collectible.
An antique 1887 Gormully & Jeffery high wheel bicycle sold for $3,120.
No bicycle collection auction would be complete without a high wheel, and in this sale an antique 1887 Gormully & Jeffery high wheel bicycle fit the bill, rolling in for $3,120. Gormully & Jeffery, founded in Chicago in 1879 by Thomas B. Jeffery and R. Philip Gormully, was the second bicycle manufacturer established in the United States. Also known as a penny-farthing, the high wheel design provided a smoother ride as pneumatic tires were waiting to be invented. Popular in the 1870s and 1880s, penny-farthings got their name from the fact that the bikes’ two wheels were sized differently — the front wheel a penny coin and the smaller rear wheel a farthing (a quarter of a penny).
Schwinn dominated this sale, with eight of the top 10 lots attributed to the American marque.
A Schwinn Whizzer vintage maroon motorbike zipped to $2,460, while a Schwinn Stingray Fastback vintage orange bicycle commanded $2,280. The Stingray Fastback was decorated with a Tour de “Fat Choice” prize-winning ribbon.
Bringing California style cool to this sale was a 1968 Schwinn Orange Krate bicycle with windshield, which was bid to $1,860. In 1968, Schwinn came out with the Krate bicycle, the name borrowed from the a notable California dragster. It was originally offered in three models — The Apple Krate (red); the Lemon Peeler (yellow); and the Orange Krate. On these models, the gears were changed via a stick shift mounted on the tube, and there was a windshield to make it look like a chopper motorcycle. A bicycle built for two, a 1968 Schwinn Stingray Mini Twinn Tandem in Campus Green brought $1,740. Schwinn manufactured the “String Ray”-style tandem bike for just one model year, so there aren’t many of them available. This sale had two of them. Another example of the 1968 two-person ride in blue clocked in at $1,500.
Fetching $1,740 was a 1968 Schwinn Stingray Mini Twinn Tandem in Campus Green. Schwinn manufactured the “String Ray”-style tandem bike for just one model year.
Introduced during the 1960s, the Schwinn Pea Picker was among the many models that the company released to capitalize on the muscle car craze. As kids were interested in customizing their bicycles with dragster-style handle bars, wheel designs, sissy bars and low-slung seats, the Pea Picker model proved popular. In this sale, a 1971 Schwinn Stingray Pea Picker Krate left the gallery at $1,380.
Another rarity wheeled out for bidder attention was a baby boomer classic — a 1952 Schwinn Black Phantom tank-style bicycle (playing cards and clothespins on the spokes optional). This artwork on two wheels found a new owner for $1,320.
An ephemeral maker of bicycles, the Monark Silver King Company of Chicago was in business from the early 1930s through the 1950s. The company’s innovative streamlined bicycle designs, pure Art Deco, are scarce as many were sacrificed for scrap metal during World War II. Here, a survivor Silver King Monark vintage aluminum bicycle took $1,230.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. Carrell has quarterly art and design auctions. The next one will take place in September and will feature Midcentury Modern furniture, bronzes, paintings, art glass and more. For information, 816-216-3163 or www.carrellauctions.com.
