The Husky that Steve McQueen raced - now on auction

A Husqvarna 400 Cross - the bike driven by actor Steve McQueen, called” King of Cool”. Now you have the chance to win it on auction - in as-new condition.
 
During the mid-Seventies Steve McQueen was the highest-paid movie star in the world, with films like ”The Great Escape” and ”Bullitt” behind him. But he was also a racing fanatic and competed with both motorcycles and cars. ”Racing is life. Everything that happens before or after is just waiting” is a famous McQueen quote from the 1971 film ”Le Mans”.
 
At the end of the Sixties efforts were made to introduce motocross as a sport in the USA. The Swedish star Bengt Aberg was brought to California to drive 4 races with his Husqvarna 360 ”Viking” - and won them all. Steve McQueen, who always wanted to drive the best machine possible, went to see the race in San Diego and bought Aberg´s bike on site. ”You don’t say no to Steve McQueen”, as someone put it. Bengt Aberg and Husqvarna then went on to become world champion in the 500 cc class in both 1969 and 1970.
 
In 1971 McQueen participated in the documentary ”On any Sunday”, a film that played a big role for the break through for motocross in the US. In the film he drives another ”Husky”, a 400 Cross. He and the Swedish bike was featured on the cover on ”Sports Illustrated”, riding bare-chested in the desert - one of the most famous pictures of McQueen ever taken. And Husqvarna sold bikes in the USA like hot cakes.
 
In 1969, a 400 Cross was sold by the dealer Nystroms Maskin in the small Swedish town Vimmerby. 40 horsepower, 2-stroke och a 4-speed transmission - ready for the track right from the factory. In 2010 it was carefully restored to as-new condition and is now part of a collection of bikes being sold at Bilweb Auctions.
 
The 400 Cross owned and raced by Steve McQueen in ”On any Sunday” has also been sold at an auction, by Bonhams in 2018. The bidding stopped at 230 000 USD, another example of the ”Midas touch” of McQueen. Bilweb Auctions estimates the value of the Husqvarna 400 Cross in the current auction to between 60 000 and 70 000 SEK. An obvious example of the importance of provenance in the auction world.
 
Another 10 historic bikes are included in the collection from an estate, among them a Norton Manx replica from the 1950s, a 1936 Norton 350 and another 3 Husqvarna motocross bikes.
 
The digital auction is being held on 10 February.