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June 8th, 2009
A legendary actor long associated with two
wheels is making motorcycle headlines once again
with several notable riding items coming up for
auction.Steve McQueen, best known for films such as The Great
Escape, Bullitt, Le Mans and The Towering Inferno
was the highest paid actor in the world in the early
1970's. He was also an accomplished car and
motorcycle racer, having placed second in the 1970
12 Hours of Sebring race behind Mario Andretti, and
also representing the US in the prestigious 6 Day
International Motorcycle Trials in 1964 in East
Germany.
A renovated motorcycle owned by Steve McQueen and his international
license are being auctioned this Thursday, with
the bike fresh from a historic display at the
AMA's Hall of Fame Museum's “MotStars:
Celebrities + Motorcycles” exhibit.
The motorcycle is McQueen's Von Dutch1929
Scott 596cc Super Squirrel
Engine no. Y2373A. |
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Produced by the Scott Motorcycle Company, the
present motorcycle is not only a fine example of one
of the most technologically advanced machines of its
day, but it was restored, painted and pin striped in
the 1970s by the legendary Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard.
The bike features the infamous Von Dutch ‘flying
eyeball’ logo affixed in cloisonné to the toolbox,
while the Scott logos are all hand-painted and
finished in gold leaf. A unique feature of the bike
is that Von Dutch mistakenly lettered the date on
the front number plate ‘1926’ instead of the correct
‘1929.’ |
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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 Interestingly, McQueen recognized the historical and
artistic significance of this motorcycle and prior
to his death, the actor gifted the bike back to Von
Dutch so that he may personally own his masterpiece.
Following its sale by Von Dutch to a collector in
California, the bike came full circle when it was
purchased (and now consigned for sale in the present
auction) by Tonny Sorensen, owner of the Von Dutch
clothing company.
Also offered in the June sale is Steve McQueen’s
International Driver's License, No.Z 6285. It was
issued to Steve McQueen by the Federation
Internationale Motocycliste (FIM). The license is
stamped and dated 1964, signed by Steve McQueen and
is accompanied by a letter of authentication from
Neile McQueen Toffel, Steve McQueen's wife in 1964
when the license was issued.Both items are being
auctioned by
Antiquorum Auctioneers on Madison Avenue in New York on Thursday June 11th at 2pm.
They are expecting to receive as much as $120,000
for McQueen's motorcycle and $25,000 for his drivers
license. Both can be viewed at the auction house
throughout the week and on the day of the auction
and in the
online catalogue.
Although he died in 1980, Steve McQueen is never
far from the news or forgotten by motorcycle
enthusiasts, if not simply for his own passion for
riding. He was an avid racer of both motorcycles and cars,
supporting himself while studying acting partly by competing in weekend motorcycle races.
McQueen was said to have bought his first motorcycle with his
winnings.
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