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.

[Source: Bonhams]

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

Bonhams to auction McQueen’s Husqvarna, memorabilia at the Quail Lodge originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strange. That’s how we’d best sum up this motorcycle concept and the company that made it.

Husqvarna got its start producing muskets for the Swedish military. The company still makes small arms, along with farm equipment, sewing machines, home appliances and motorcycles. Today these businesses are all separate enterprises, the motorcycle manufacturer based today in Italy and acquired three years ago by BMW.

A strange path, but certainly no stranger than their latest unveiling: the Mille 3 concept bike. Unveiled at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, the Mille 3 straddles the division between cruiser and sport bike about as widely as the rider would its low-slung seat. The handlebars are taken from an off-road bike, while the foot pegs sit far back like those on a sport bike.

Power is provided by a 933cc fuel-injected three-cylinder engine, but it’s the design that sets it apart. Husqvarna says it indicates they’re “always ahead of the game”, but exactly what game that might be is a mystery to us.

[Source: Hell for Leather]

Husqvarna Mille 3 concept bike is stranger than meets the eye originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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