Holy Molly!!! This is going to be interesting… https://iconicmotorbikeauctions.com/auction/1996-ducati-916-spa-955-sp-4/
Having the priviledge to own her little sister the 1996 916 SP3, I can guarantee it has to be a very special bike. PS: all SP3 engines had larger cases allowing a « simplified » conversion to 955cc, if you chose to purchase the kit from your dealer. PPS: In my very personal opinion, it is way more special than a 996R or 998R. But that’s only a personal preference.
A member on here had one which I saw but he died a few years back and I think the bike passed to his son. Never seen or heard of it since.
I've been watching this one as well. Lots of NOS parts used in the restoration. The frame colour and stand look to be a great match. The NOS tyres are fantastic - my kind of restoration The only thing that triggers me is that the owner didn't fog the inside of the fuel tank lol. That said, it is nicer than many NOS fuel tanks I've seen and can be easily cleaned with minimal effort.
That is beautiful. Nothing will ever surpass the 916 but you can see where the 2025 Panigale V4 gets some of its styling cues from.
I remember this chap well,Dave Bromley.I remember bumping into him at the Motorcycle Workshop in Bolney.We rode south together on the A24 playing leapfrog so we could listen to each others bike.The sound his 955 made was epic. Shortly before he died his bike was on view in the front window of the Motorcycle Workshop-it sure was a looker.
When i collected my 916 from Rob's (Protwins) private garage in Caterham ( it was being stored there for a customer ) someone said after the event when i left the premises that he'd the above motorcycle in another garage. He sold it two or three years later from that period. I missed out.!, but i'm very happy with my lot.
That's correct it was Dave, Bromley and he used to live in West Norwood just inside the cemetery there although I don't think he was the caretaker.
The last one that sold on BaT (link below) fetched $US52K. I think buddy's dreaming if he expects much more given the amount of non-original parts he's got on it. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-ducati-916-spa-2/
That BaT SPA was US$54,862 (including buyer fee): https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-ducati-916-spa-2 Don't forget this one that sold just a couple of months after that, US$85,707 (including buyer fee): https://iconicmotorbikeauctions.com/auction/1996-ducati-916-spa-955-sp-3/ Given the condition it was presented in, I don't understand the final price. But it wasn't my money. It did have half the miles tho. There was another on BaT last year that sold for US$63,000 (including buyer fee): https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-ducati-955-sp-916-spa/ There have also been a couple of private exchanges over the past couple of years I've heard about that were in the US$70K range. I don't know the details of the bikes on those however. I'd still bet that IF a true un-restored 0-mile original SPA came to market (yes there are a couple), that it would be the first 916 to hit US$100K. That said, the market has softened a bit over the past few months so that may not be the case at this moment.
…Well, that’s to bad for the seller, don’t you think ? @92GTA Alex, Out of curiosity, is there anyway you could verify how much these SPas were selling for (MSRP) in the US, back in 1996?
I'm afraid the one close friend I had who was selling Ducatis back then (he owned a dealership) passed away on Pike Peak a few years ago testing a new Ducati. So anything now that I personally could dig up would just be on the internet and not first-hand real knowledge. That said, a search of Ducati.ms might yield some accurate info, but without a scan of a piece of paper like an invoice or price sheet, it's just hearsay.
@92GTA I tried to search Ducati.ms, as there are several 955 owners there, but it seems that SPa owners only share money talks among each others, in private… So unless one of them is lured into sharing some original paperwork info, I guess this info will remain a legend. Which is most likely exactly their intent, given the course of things…
Now that would be brilliant ! Basically, I am trying to find this info in order to explain to my fellow French Ducatista why these bikes, even restored, are already fetching such values in the US. The whole NOS/date correct concours culture is not so big over here. Mentality is more like « ride it like you stole it » type of things.
