A group of European motorcycles once owned and ridden by A-list Hollywood celebrities has been consigned for the Bonhams sale at Barber Motorsports Museum near Birmingham, Alabama. Most are dirt bikes, and some were ridden by the stars in famous films.
Steve McQueen’s 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross, a Swedish off-road model ridden by him in the motorcycle movie On Any Sunday, has been previously announced for the auction, but two more McQueen bikes have been added, a highly desirable 1953 Vincent Comet Series C from England and an unusual 1939 Nimbus Model C Luxus with sidecar from Denmark.
Other motorcycles – all dirt bikes – and their well-known owners, include:
• 1967 CZ 250, a Czech motorcycle noted for off-road agility, that was ridden by Paul Newman in the movie Sometimes a Great Notion.
• 1968 Bultaco Pursang 250 that was ridden by Peter Fonda in the opening scene of Easy Rider.
• 1970 Husqvarna 250 Cross motocross bike from Sweden formerly owned by Dennis Hopper, who also starred in Easy Rider.
Other starring motorcycles that will be auctioned include such rare vintage two wheelers as a 1949 Vincent Black Lightning purported to be the world’s oldest-known example of the “holy grail” British model, and such racing machines as a Ducati NCR AMA Pro winner.
The Bonhams auction will be held October 6 in conjunction with the annual Barber Vintage Festival adjacent to museum location. For more information, visit the auction website.
