McQueen’s Husky on the Auction Block

Thirty-two years after his death, Steve McQueen still reigns as the coolest movie star to ever ride a motorcycle. One of his preferred brands was Husqvarna (another, seen here, was Triumph) and to the delight of motorcycle enthusiasts and McQueen fans alike, one of his bikes will soon be in the hands of a new owner. This 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross owned and ridden by Steve McQueen will be up for auction on January 10th, at Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, by Bonhams. The motorcycle comes with an exhaustive quantity of documents supporting its provenance and authenticity.

Joining McQueen’s Husky is a quartet of rare BMWs: a 1939 BMW Rennsport Kompressor, a 1954 BMW RS 254, a 1954 BMW RS 254 with Sidecar, and a 1956 BMW RS 256. The Kompressor RS 255 is a genuine, documented supercharged 1939 engine (no. 16152) mounted in an authentic 1951 frame (no. 2), not at all uncommon with most factory racing machines. Legendary racer John Surtees, who owns the very same year model BMW upon which Georg Meier won the Isle of Man TT (now on permanent display at the BMW Museum), commented that the RS255 ”rightly deserves a place as being one of the all-time greats of motorcycle Grand Prix racing.”

Also of note is this 1902 Rambler Model B from the Indian Motorcycle Museum. Manufactured by Colonel Albert Pope’s American Cycle Manufacturing Company of New York, this Rambler motorcycle is in almost unbelievable original, unrestored condition. (Yes, that’s correct – this motorcycle wears its original paint from 110 years ago. With the exception of an old touch-up on the gas tank the entire machine is in a complete time-capsule state.)

This particular machine has been a part of the Manthos Collection of the Indian Motorcycle Museum exhibit for decades and has benefitted from years of protected preservation.

By Tom Roderick