McQueen Husqvarna Sold for World Record Amount

Husqvarna News: An iconic Husqvarna 400 Cross, which belonged to Hollywood star Steve McQueen, by auction in Caramel, California on 14Sold in May.

Bonhams sold the legendary actor from 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross motorcycle – a machine identical to the famous, he rode shirtless on the cover of Sports Illustrated – for a new world record on an estimate of earth-shattering price of $ 144,500.

This iconic Husky was heavy with one of the most popular Hollywood leading men-ridden. There is a special piece of McQueen memorabilia and was properly covered by a film actor, a fantastic and talented racers will ride passes – and had to demonstrate an impressive collection of racing trophies to prove it.

The rare Husqvarna 400 Cross motorcycle was the latest in a series of big-bore motocross models, combined with fearsome power and superb handling. Up to this point, bear, many off-road drivers of heavy, twin-cylinder street models stripped and lightened as much as possible, even so, they were heavy and unwieldy. Brought together the two-stroke Husky 400 Cross, hung with a powerful single-cylinder engine in a lightweight steel frame.

It was the movie On Any Sunday that introduced many Americans to the wonderful world of off-road driving. Husqvarna were the legendary motorcycle film that really introduced to the company on the map for the U.S. riders. Seeing motorcycle legend Malcolm Smith and McQueen kick up long rooster tails of sand on the beach outside of Camp Pendleton inspired many new dirt bike enthusiasts. In fact, Smith said of McQueen that he “competed with a driver who could have probably discovered at a professional level, he had decided the line of work.”

The Husky 400 Cross was a brutal, merciless motorcycle, hard to ride well, which McQueen absolutely did. It embodies McQueen desire seriously as a rider and driver are taken, and his mastery of the Husky only helps fuel his legend.

How many off-road enthusiasts, McQueen collected many examples of bikes that he loved, to give some “parts bikes” and other friends to come as an inducement to ride. He was not above using his fame to promote a sale, according to longtime friend and The Great Escape stunt double Bud Ekins, who said:. ”Steve would be the pressure if it something he really wanted, he would say was the seller,” Will not you have to say you sold your bike to Steve McQueen in the situation? And it worked. ”

Developed as an off-road motorcycle sport in the 1960s and early 1970s, a movement started off slightly modified street bikes on machines designed from the beginning of the competition. During this time, before the Japanese manufacturers came to be involved to put the Europeans in the development, construction machines are lighter and more powerful.Husqvarna came to epitomize the success of motorcycles developed and extensively raced in competition. His models won 14 motocross and enduro-24 title by the late 1970s.