220 San Bruno Avenue
San Francisco, Calif. 94103
For Immediate Release
16 November 2012
Steve McQueen’s Husqvarna to Headline Bonhams’ Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction
San Francisco – In the archives of popular culture, one thing On Any Sunday and Sports Illustrated have in common is the motorcycle upon which the King of Cool rode: a Husqvarna. And now Bonhams, the premiere auction house most closely associated with all things Steve McQueen, will be offering the Hollywood icon’s very own ‘Husky’ at its 3rd annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction in January.
Through best friend Bud Ekins, McQueen became associated with Triumph in the 1960s. But when the lightweight, powerful and nimble Swedish-made Husqvarna was introduced to America in 1970, it quickly became McQueen’s preferred mount. Subsequently, it was this marque of motorcycle McQueen rode on numerous, highly publicized occasions.
On January 10th, at Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Bonhams will offer for sale this genuine 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross owned and ridden by the legendary actor. The motorcycle comes with an exhaustive quantity of documents supporting its provenance and authenticity and is sure to take center stage in what promises to be another stellar Bonhams sale. McQueen’s Husky will be joining an already impressive auction line-up, such as the quartet of BMW racing motorcycles – including the very rare and highly desirable Kompressor – and the original condition 1902 Rambler from the Indian Motorcycle Museum.
Owners interested in consigning special motorcycles to this anticipated auction may contact:
• Nick Smith, West Coast: 323-436-5470 / Nick.Smith@Bonhams.com
• Evan Ide, East Coast: 917-340-4657 / Evan.Ide@Bonhams.com
Additional information about the Las Vegas auction, including bidder registration and catalog purchases, may be found at Bonhams.com/Vegas.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the US; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com