Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

New York, Jun 11, 2009

LOT 414

Steve McQueen's Motorcycle restored and painted by Von Dutch 1929 Scott 596cc Super Squirrel [Engine no. Y2373A]

The allure of the present lot starts with the Scott marquee itself. Scott Motorcycle Company (Shipley, West Yorkshire, England), produced motorcycles so far ahead of their time that it is hard not to label them technological oddities. These innovations have earned Scott the reputation as the ?Bugatti of Motorcycles.? In 1924, when Scott debuted the ?Super Squirrel,? most motorcycles had heavy air-cooled four-stroke engines and solid forks; the Scott boasted a revolutionary two-stroke motor featuring water cooling and telescopic forks. The present motorcycle is not only a fine example of one of the most technologically advanced machines of its day, but it was restored, painted and pin striped in the 1970s by none other than the legendary Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard. As if that was not enough, Von Dutch undertook this meticulous restoration for his close friend Steve McQueen, who was as serious about motorcycles and racing as he was about acting. The bike features the infamous Von Dutch ?flying eyeball? logo affixed in cloisonné to the toolbox, while the Scott logos are all hand-painted and finished in gold leaf. A unique feature of the bike is that Von Dutch mistakenly lettered the date on the front number plate ?1926? instead of the correct ?1929.? Having recognized the historical and artistic significance of this motorcycle, prior to his death, Steve McQueen gifted the bike back to Von Dutch so that he may personally own his masterpiece. Following its sale by Von Dutch to a collector in California, the bike came full circle when it was purchased (and now consigned for sale in the present auction) by Tonny Sorensen, owner of the Von Dutch clothing company. Until recently the bike was on display at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as part of the ?Mot- Stars: Celebrities + Motorcycles? exhibit.
The engine was recently overhauled, featuring new bearings, pistons and a re-bore, plus the crankshaft and cylinders refurbished by famous Scott specialist Roger Moss. Steve McQueen Steve McQueen was an avid motorcyclist and supporter of the sport. McQueen?s unabashed enthusiasm for motorcycling did wonders for the image of the sport during a time when the general public often looked at motorcyclists with disdain. McQueen raced in many of the top off-road races on the West Coast during the ?60s and early 1970s. McQueen dreamed up perhaps the most famous motorcycle jump ever filmed when shooting the movie ?The Great Escape? in Germany. He called good friend Bud Ekins over to be his stunt double to shoot the climactic motorcycle jump in which McQueen?s character was trying to escape German soldiers by motorcycle during World War II. McQueen became so closely associated with motorcycling that Popular Science had him write a series of motorcycle reviews for that magazine. In the early 1970s, movie producer Bruce Brown approached McQueen about helping him finance a documentary movie on motorcycling. McQueen, fully knowing that he would probably never profit from this type of film, nevertheless agreed to back Brown. The movie he financed turned out to be the classic ?On Any Sunday,? not only the best motorcycle movie of its time, but also a commercial success. McQueen became interested in collecting motorcycles and the bulk of his collection in the mid to late 1970s was older, historically significant motorcycles. McQueen collected the bikes he wanted to own without regard to popularity or future values, he was neither a showoff nor speculator. It is for this reason that motorcyclists the world over have come to admire and deeply respect Steve McQueen.