Pope's autographed Harley-Davidson sells for $285,800

Written by AFP wire service

Thursday, 06 February 2014 10:00

The Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide bears the autograph of Pope Francis. It sold at auction for $326,000 in Paris. Bonhams image. PARIS (AFP) – A Harley-Davidson motorbike that briefly belonged to Pope Francis was sold to a mystery European buyer for 210,000 euros ($285,800) at a high-profile auction in Paris on Thursday. "It's a record for a post-vintage motorbike, from the 21st century," noted Bonhams France, the auction house. Including fees, the unidentified buyer paid a total of 241,500 euros to obtain the bike. The U.S. motorcycle maker gave the 1,585cc Dyna Super Glide to the pope in June to mark the brand's 110th anniversary, and while the 77-year-old never rode it, he signed it before donating it to Roman Catholic charity Caritas Roma. The funds from the sale will go toward the restoration of the charity's hostel and soup kitchen at Rome's Termini railway station. A jacket that was also given to the pope by Harley-Davidson was snapped up for 57,500 euros, including fees. The bike is on show at the Grand Palais in Paris – where the auction took place – among hundreds of other iconic vehicles such as Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs. According to Bonhams, Pope Francis has another Harley-Davidson, although the famously humble pontiff is more of a fan of buses. He opted to ride one the day after his election last year instead of taking a limousine, and regularly used them in his homeland Argentina instead of taxis.