Ex-McQueen Indian Chief fetches record $99,450

By Richard Backus
Published on November 17, 2009
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Actor and motorcycle buff Steve McQueen on his 1940 Indian Chief, which sold at Bonham & Butterfield’s November 14 “Classic California” auction for a record $99,450.

The ex-Steve McQueen 1940 Indian Chief — pictured on the cover of the book “Steve McQueen: The Last Mile” — set a new world record for the model at Bonham & Butterfield’s “Classic California” auction November 14, selling for $99,450. The latest Bonham’s auction shows once again that when it comes to motorcycles, if Steve McQueen ever owned it, it’s hot.

Following is Bonhams & Butterfields’ report on the auction, which celebrated the eighth year of the “Classic California” auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum:

“A large crowd of collectors and motoring aficionados paid $2,138,736 for automotive collectibles and celebrity-owned vehicles, cars and motorcycles from noted private collections.

“With a headlining ensemble of 28 cars from the Sam Garrett Collection and 33 motorcycles from the Forest “Woody” Shrider Collection — both of which were 100 percent sold — and numerous lots of vehicles and personal memorabilia from screen legend Steve McQueen, the auction consisted of an impressive and diverse line-up of items from the world of motoring. In all, an impressive 76 percent of vehicles, both 2- and 4-wheel, were successfully sold.

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