Bonhams to auction McQueen’s Husqvarna, memorabilia at the Quail Lodge

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Motorcycle, Celebrities

Steve McQueen is revered by gearheads as an enthusiastic owner and driver of all sorts of cars, from a brown ’63 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso to a teal ’58 GMC pickup and everything in between. But the King of Cool was equally into motorcycles, and rode them regularly.

Arguably one of the most recognizable was his Husqvarna 400 dirt bike. It was on this Swedish gem that he was photographed for the cover of Sports Illustrated (pictured at right). The bike was sold in 1984 and subsequently changed hands a couple of times, but has throughout remained in the condition in which McQueen last rode it – right down to the spare spark plug he taped to the frame.

Now the ’71 Husky is crossing the auction block once again as part of Bonhams‘ enormous motorcycle and memorabilia auction at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California, on May 14. Alongside it will be an endless array of McQueen artifacts, including his race trophies won on both two wheels and four. Joining the McQueen items are such notable consignments as a pair of custom Harleys built for Otis Chandler and owned by the Guggenheim Foundation, as well as a pair of classic Norton racers. Follow the jump for a pair of press releases and check out the images in the gallery below for more.

Gallery: Steve McQueen’s 1971 Husqvarna 400