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Julien’s Auctions is presenting a marquee event (literally!) at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on November 6, and the partnership with Turner Classic Movies lives up to its “Movies and Motorcars” moniker. A standout lot is a 1926 Excelsior Super X motorcycle that was once owned by Steve McQueen. The estimate is for a sale of between $125,000-150,000.
From the auction site:
[T]he Excelsior Super X was the first mass-produced American 740cc (45ci) V-twin, launching in 1925 and kickstarting a big V-twin trend among the likes of Indian and Harley-Davidson. Interestingly, the Super X was actually developed by Harley-Davidson’s Assistant Chief Engineer, Arthur Constantine, who took the design to Excelsior after Walter Davidson turned it down.
The bike wound up in McQueen’s extensive collection in the 1970s, a gift from his stunt double and racing compatriot, Bud Ekins. According to Julien’s, McQueen kept the Excelsior at his California ranch, where he rode it during the final year or so before his death in 1980.
It still runs!
Julien’s says the bike still runs, so if you can cover the eventual hammer price, you could channel some of your inner King of Cool. The aforementioned V-twin motor is paired with a three-speed chain-driven transmission, all packed into a single crankcase, a departure from the designs that had preceded it. The one-time flat-tracker runs on alcohol, is unchanged from when McQueen owned it, and is rather barebones. “[T]his model features a racing frame, an oversized rear fender, no front fender, short exhaust headers, and…[a] race tuned engine,” Julien’s notes. “There’s no lighting or electrics, nor a front brake, with just a single drum on the rear.”
The Excelsior was originally auctioned in 1984, when McQueen’s estate was sold off (Julien’s has the documentation). The tires are “vintage,” and the leather seat is “original,” requiring periodic conditioning to maintain it. So you really are getting a proper piece of antique, two-wheeled racing history here, with extra Tinseltown cred due to its association with an actor who probably loved cars, planes, and motorbikes more than he did the big screen.
McQueen lived among his toys
The Santa Paula property where McQueen lived out his days with his third wife, Barbara, was an interesting final destination for both the Hollywood legend and his numerous forms of transportation. He and Barbara moved there in 1979 and initially dwelled in an actual airplane hanger before relocating to a modest ranch house, where they tied the knot. I have a book about McQueen’s last years, complete with Barbara’s photos, and the ranch does indeed look like it was Steve’s happy place. It also provided ample storage for everything from the Excelsior to his yellow prop-driven biplane, as well as plenty of open space and local roads for McQueen to explore.Â
Julien’s has plenty of other pieces of McQueen-connected stuff in the auction. You could grab movie posters, racing awards, another motorcycle (a 1971 Husqvarna 250), jackets, and even a pair of very Steve McQueen Persol sunglasses that are expected to hammer at $20,000-30,000.
