Testing the Price of the McQueen Provenance

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By Dexter Ford via : www.nytimes.com

The actor’s 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross, an off-road motorcycle he rode all over the Mojave Desert of Southern California — and onto the cover of Sports Illustrated — will be offered by the Bonhams auction house at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, Calif., on May 14.

As with all things McQueen, its value has little to do with the physical object and much to do with the provenance.

For example, a pair of his sunglasses worn from the film “The Thomas Crown Affair” sold at auction in 2006 for $70,200. In 2009, McQueen’s 1963 Triumph Bonneville also brought an outsized price. The desert-racing bike, built by Bud Ekins, the stunt rider who did the famous jump in the film “The Great Escape,” sold for $84,240.

A nicely restored ’70s-era Husky might bring as much as $8,000 on the vintage-motocross collectors’ circuit. A presale estimate from the auctioneers for the McQueen Husqvarna — the ownership is well documented, but it’s not known whether this was the magazine cover bike — ranges from $50,000 to $70,000.

The bike was bought from McQueen’s estate in 1984 by the Harrah’s Auto Collection. A collection of the actor’s trophies will also be offered at the auction.



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AJS 18CS Competition

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The 500 cc "long stroke" AJS 18CS was produced from 1951 through 1955. In 1956 it was replaced by the shorter stroke, larger bore models that used the same numeric codes. The bore of these early models was 82.5 mm (3.25 in), while the 1956 through 1966 "short stroke" (final version) models had a bore of 86 mm (3.39 in). The C was for Competition (Scrambles) and the S for Suspension (not a rigid rear frame).

Engine numbers usually start with the year of production, followed by model designation, and completed with the production number of the motorcycle

The AJS and Matchless singles were doomed when AMC merged with Norton as all production was transferred to twins cylinder bikes - so the short-stroke Model 18 is the end of an era.
Pictures via : www.vintagebike.co.uk

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1965 CZ Twin Port

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In the annals of motocross, the CZ Twin Port stands out as an early exotic race bike. The 250cc (as well as the 360cc) elevated the sport to new heights with a hint of how new exotic metals could transform the machinery.

Using magnesium in many of the CZ's components (primarily the drum brake hubs and engine cases) brought the 250cc bike's weight down to a claimed 214 pounds.

The bike had an exceptionally simple yet stunning aura, set off by the peanut tank - with the legendary CZ insignia - and the low slung expansion chambers (no rules yet about excessive decibels meant these machines could run without silencers).

However, what really intrigued was the single cylinder 2-stroke engine's use of a twin exhaust port. Twin chrome header pipes exited the air-cooled cylinder and split the frame's front downtube, the pipes running underneath the bike to exit on either side of the swingarm.

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