OCR 1000: For a song

This popped up while reviewing some old texts: a new OCR 1000 for €15. Fifteen years have passed since then. And in the meantime, we've become good friends with Harald Westenburger, one of the top engineers behind the OCR project.

The beauty of it is that it shows you what's happening at the absolute top of the classic car world. There, the "players" aren't enthusiasts, but speculators or other money-hungry individuals, plus a few people who simply buy whatever expensive items they can afford.

THEN: Madness knows no bounds, of course. In 2016, on June 14th, a used OCR 1000 was auctioned at Catawiki for €80.000. People from all over the world participated in the bidding, even from Japan, 'Russia,' and China. The idea was to attract many investors to the auction. "These types of motorcycles are becoming increasingly rare, which only increases their value. We're therefore seeing more and more people buying rare motorcycles or classic cars as investments," said a spokesperson for the successful auction site.

Meanwhile, Catawiki is offering another OCR 1000. The hammer price is expected to be over €100.000. Will the buyer bravely drive 25.000 km/year on his purchase? It'll probably end up in a safe until it's bought by the Chinese who recently paid over €1.000.000 for a carrier pigeon. A carrier pigeon doesn't last as long. But you can eat it. That's true.

The Dutch motorcycle brand Van Veen (Amsterdam) was founded when Kreidler importer Henk van Veen presented the first prototype of a twin-disc rotary motorcycle in 1974. The driven entrepreneur had first tested the idea using a modified Moto Guzzi V7 as a rolling test bed. That prototype was just as ugly as the Van Veen OCR 1000 would become.

The OCR 1000 so

The block came from Comotor (Audi / NSU /Citroën) and the styling was from Jos Schurgers. The machine was very expensive, and the factory built in Duderstadt, which produced the first series in 1977, had to close in 1978. In that year, Comotor stopped producing wankel engines, which meant a serious setback for Van Veen. In 1981, after production of 38 motorcycles, it was over and out.

The new OCRs

Businessman Andries Wielinga from Wommels, Friesland, and Dirk Knip bought all the OCR equipment, apparently the rights to it, and decided to create 10 genuine, new OCRs. In July 2010, the OCR 1000, frame number 41, was presented to the press. With such a surge in supply, the market price was bound to plummet. Or not? It turns out that wasn't the case.

For Andries Wielinga and Dirk Knip, July 11, 2010, was a memorable day. “Finally, number 41 was finished and presented to the press. It certainly took a lot longer than we anticipated a year ago! But perfection takes time! We'll start building number 42 in September. That means you can now officially buy a new Van Veen. Building a new machine will take about three months. Once the bike is finished and delivered, the proud new owner will receive a two-year warranty.”

A brand-new Van Veen will cost €85.000 (including VAT) in 2011. If you're seriously interested in buying a Van Veen, please contact us by email for information or to schedule an appointment.

Still 'back then': Will that still work in 2019? The site seems extremely static. But a new OCR for only €85.000? That's less than the €100.000+ Catawiki has set as its price.

NOW: So, it's now 2026. This month, a Van Veen OCR 1000 went under the hammer. This Dutch classic sold in Las Vegas for around $70.000 (€59.000) – excluding auction fees. This was at Mecum Auctions.

Will you buy a decent Van Veen for 10 grand next year? I don't think so. But as a fan without the deepest pockets, I'm pleased to see that our passion for money-grabbers, speculators, and greedy people has lost its focus.

Because in Mannheim we saw an MV that had been bought for 89.000 euros remain unsaleable for thirty thousand less.

Dream bikes will generally remain dream bikes. That's what they were born for. For the happy few or the wealthy few.

But what if prices drop a bit more?
Then our dreams become more and more enjoyable. Because what are you supposed to do with that extra equity in your home?

I can't wait until we're just together again.