All posts in “Steve McQueen”

2021 Triumph Scrambler Steve McQueen Edition

If we’re being completely honest, you could slap the “King of Cool” name on damn near anything and most of us would be interested in owning it because even more than four decades after his…

The post 2021 Triumph Scrambler Steve McQueen Edition first appeared on Cool Material.

Suzuki DR 650 By 72 Cycles Performance

We love it when shops go to town and go all out on customizations. But we’re also equally partial to shops who pay tributes to icons of the beaten path. Such is this Suzuki DR 650, from Spain’s 72 Cycles Performance.

Steve McQueen, as we all know is a badass. A legend of his own accord, this man is one of the most prolific racers of his era. He gravitated toward higher-end rides in his career, like the early-model Husqvarnas that are popular for racing, specifically.

Nearly all McQueen’s bikes contain a certain trademark. It’s hard to ascertain exactly what this trademark is. But you know when you see it. There’s just something about the styling of his rides that really catches one’s eyes. Usually, though, they heavily feature tinges of white, brown, red, and green. A palette Mcqueen favored over anything else.

In paying respects to this iconic racer, 72 Cycles Performance has decided to recreate the Husqvarna. With a twist, of course. The shop chose to forego the original Swedish platform, for starters. Instead, underneath it all is actually a Suzuki DR 650.

But aside from the fame, the bike practically remains unchanged. There’s the awe-striking leatherette seat, knobby off-road tires, and a slick scrambler silhouette to top everything off. That’s not all, though. You also get the classic colors that made the original ride so noteworthy. Sure, it’s a Suzuki DR 650 when everything is stripped away. But that should not take away from how inspired this job is. And how thoughtful a tribute it is to McQueen, more importantly.

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Photos courtesy of 72 Cycles Performance

Steve McQueen’s Beloved 1931 Brough Superior

Mac and cheese…peanut butter and jelly…Steve McQueen and motorcycles. These are combinations that just go together – they just fit like a glove. Though McQueen did enjoy a fast car or two, his true passion was with two wheels. Triumphs, Husqvarnas, Indians and Brough Superiors were the brands he was fond of the most.

Fans of both McQueen and Brough bikes should take note that in an upcoming auction by Gooding & Company, the beautiful 1931 Superior SS80 is up for sale. Of all the bikes in his life, this was a clear favorite.

Brough Superiors had quite a short, but impactful lifespan. They were only produced between 1919 and 1940, with a mere 3048 bikes leaving the factories during those 21 years.

McQueen’s SS80 was the only Brough he had and he eventually passed it onto one of his dearest friends, the illustrious Von Dutch, otherwise known as Kenneth Howard.

Considered by many to be the Rolls Royce of the motorcycle world, Brough made the history books with their innovations. It is particularly noteworthy that they produced one of the first road bikes in Britain to achieve a top speed of 80MPH and were a major player in the motor racing competitions before 1950.

So, what Gooding & Company have on auction is not just one of the coolest bikes from one of the coolest bike manufacturers, but one that was ridden by one of the coolest men who ever lived!

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Steve McQueen’s 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross Motorcycle

Steve McQueen. The very mention of the name makes men around the world sit up and listen and women remember somberly how they swooned when they saw him on the big screen. When it comes to collectables, the name Steve McQueen adds a lifetime of intrigue and history to even the most humble of creations.

However, the 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross Motorcycle is anything but humble. This is the bike McQueen was sat upon on his famous Sports Illustrated cover shoot and is the same he rode in his movie On Any Sunday.

The bike drips with the coolness that seemed to come easy to its owner and was registered to his production company Solar Productions. As well as the official documentation and the bike, there was a penny found dated to 1960, which is Chad, McQueen’s son’s birth year. It was stuck between the frame and the engine.

Making this a truly special collectable piece for any huge Steve McQueen fan or any fan of movie and actor memorabilia in general.

The motorcycle will be featured at the Collectors’ Motorcycles At The Barber Vintage Festival and is being auctioned off by Bonhams on the 6th of October. Bidding is not officially open, but you can check out the preview before the event.

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