2030 mots | Temps de lecture : 10 minute(s)
Steve McQueen, "the King of Cool," and Motorcycles: A Legend on Two Wheels
Summary
- "The King of Cool," a Biker First and Foremost
- A Legendary Motorcycle Collection
- The Great Escape (1963): The Truth About THE Jump
- The 1964 Six Days: McQueen Against the World
- On Any Sunday (1971): The Film That Changed Everything
- A Legacy That Still Rides On
- Summary Table
- FAQ
"The King of Cool," a Biker First and Foremost
We know Steve McQueen (1930-1980) for Bullitt, The Great Escape, or Le Mans. But behind the Hollywood star nicknamed "the King of Cool" was an authentic mécanique enthusiast, as comfortable on a desert motorcycle as in front of a camera. McQueen didn't just play a biker: he rode, he raced, he crashed, he repaired. It's this sincerity that explains why, more than forty years after his death, he remains the ultimate icon of two-wheeled style.
A turbulent teenager and then a Marine, McQueen discovered speed at a very young age and never stopped. Once rich and famous, he dedicated a part of his fortune to satisfying his passion: car racing, of course, but especially off-road motorcycling, in the California desert where he trained with high-level riders. This culture of the two-wheeler as a way of life permeated his entire career and largely spilled over onto the screens.
A Legendary Motorcycle Collection
McQueen's collection has become legendary. It is estimated that he owned more than 200 motorcycles throughout his life, an eclectic collection that ranged from exceptional pre-war pieces to the most rustic racing machines. Among the jewels: a rare 1915 Cyclone board tracker (one of thirteen known examples, resold for $775,000 in 2015, a record for a collector's motorcycle at the time), several Indians, but also a multitude of desert sleds, those big British twin-cylinder bikes modified to eat up the sand.
Because if McQueen rode almost everything, his heart beat for Triumphs. He appreciated the scramblers and desert sleds prepared by his friend Bud Ekins, including a famous 1963 Triumph Bonneville refined by Ekins and painted by the legendary pinstriper Von Dutch. The Bonneville, precisely, embodies the brand's know-how: we tell its story in our article on the 1959 Triumph Bonneville T120, and more broadly in the fascinating history of Triumph.
At his death in 1980, his collection of motorcycles and automobiles was the subject of a memorable auction at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, in November 1984. Since then, the smallest machine that belonged to the King of Cool has fetched high prices: his Husqvarna seen in On Any Sunday, bought for $1,500 in 2008, was resold for $230,000 in 2018.
🏍️ Want to bring some of that vintage aura into your home? Discover our selection of miniature motorcycles to recreate your own legendary garage.
The Great Escape (1963): The Truth About THE Jump
It's impossible to talk about McQueen without mentioning John Sturges' The Great Escape (1963), in which he plays Captain Virgil Hilts, "the Cooler King." The scene of the motorcycle speeding towards the Swiss border is one of the most famous in cinema history. McQueen himself performs almost all of the motorcycle stunts: even better, thanks to editing and camera angles, he also plays the German soldier chasing him — so he literally chases himself on screen.
But let's set the record straight about the famous jump over the barbed wire. It was NOT McQueen who performed it: the film's insurers formally forbade him. The stunt was performed by his friend and stuntman Bud Ekins, a Triumph preparer and dealer in Sherman Oaks. The motorcycle? A Triumph TR6 Trophy (650 cc), disguised to look like a German military BMW from World War II — an assumed anachronism, as no German motorcycle of the time had the qualities of the English twin for such a feat. The jump, executed with the help of a dirt ramp built into the embankment, cleared a fence about 3.5 meters high and nearly 20 meters long, with the motorcycle at full speed.
This anecdote summarizes the character: McQueen was good enough to do everything himself, but lucid enough (and well-surrounded) to entrust the ultimate risk-taking to a professional. Ekins and he remained friends and riding companions until the end. The scene has inspired generations of filmmakers and stuntmen — a legacy found in other figures like Evel Knievel, the stuntman who made motorcycling a global spectacle.
The 1964 Six Days: McQueen Against the World
Away from the film sets, McQueen wanted to compete with the best. In September 1964, he joined the United States team for the toughest off-road event of the era: the International Six Days Trial (ISDT), held from September 7 to 12 in Erfurt, East Germany. The atmosphere was electric: in the midst of the Cold War, a group of Americans arrived with their Triumphs behind the Iron Curtain.
The team brought together an impressive group: Steve McQueen, Bud Ekins, his brother Dave Ekins, Cliff Coleman, and John Steen. McQueen raced on a 650 cc Triumph TR6 Trophy (entered in the 750 cc category). The adventure was short-lived for him: after an initial fall and a quick repair, he sped off to catch up, had to avoid another competitor, went off track, and fell heavily. His Triumph was too damaged to continue. Bud Ekins also abandoned, with a broken ankle. But American honor was saved: Cliff Coleman and Dave Ekins each won an individual gold medal. McQueen did not finish the event, but he proved he was not a tourist: he rode at an international level. This spirit of endurance and off-road riding is found in great epics like the Paris-Dakar.
Jeans, a white T-shirt, a jacket, and a Triumph: McQueen's silhouette forever defined the idea of the cool biker.
McQueen is the absolute icon of vintage leather biker style; the card fits perfectly right after the sentence describing his iconic silhouette.
🧥 To ride with the same timeless spirit, check out our collection of motorcycle jackets and coats.
On Any Sunday (1971): The Film That Changed Everything
If McQueen had left only one gift to the motorcycle community, it would undoubtedly be On Any Sunday (1971). This documentary directed by Bruce Brown — who also made the cult surf film The Endless Summer — covers all forms of motorcycle sport: dirt track, motocross, trial, desert racing, board track. McQueen was not just a star in the film: he financed and co-produced it through his company Solar Productions, with a budget of approximately $313,000, without which the project would probably never have seen the light of day.
The film features legends such as Mert Lawwill, 1969 AMA Grand National champion, and Malcolm Smith, enduro virtuoso, culminating in an iconic sequence: McQueen, Lawwill, and Smith having fun on motorcycles on a beach at sunset, filmed at the Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton. On Any Sunday was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1972. More importantly, it transformed the image of the motorcyclist in the United States: from a cinematic thug, the motorcyclist became a hero, an athlete, a passionate enthusiast. A cultural shift comparable to the one described in our article on iconic motorcycles in cinema and pop culture.
A Legacy That Still Rides On
Why does McQueen still fascinate motorcyclists so much? Because he embodies a rare authenticity. He never separated his life as an actor from his life as a rider: the two were one. His style — Triumph desert sled, simple helmet, glasses, worn jacket — has become a uniform adopted by an entire segment of today's custom and neo-retro culture. Even today, customizers sell replicas of his desert racer, and his name drives up auction prices.
McQueen belongs to that gallery of icons who made motorcycling much more than a means of transportation, alongside other big-screen enthusiasts like Keanu Reeves. His lesson is timeless: motorcycling is lived to the fullest, sincerely, in the desert as on the road.
🖼️ To pay tribute to him on your walls, discover our collection of motorcycle posters and prints.
Summary Table
| Element | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Name / nickname | Steve McQueen (1930-1980), "the King of Cool" |
| The Great Escape | 1963, dir. John Sturges; role of Virgil Hilts |
| The famous jump | Performed by Bud Ekins (not McQueen), on a Triumph TR6 Trophy 650 cm³ disguised as a German motorcycle, using a dirt ramp |
| ISDT 1964 | Erfurt, East Germany, Sept. 7-12; McQueen on Triumph TR6 650; crash and withdrawal |
| US Team 1964 | McQueen, Bud & Dave Ekins, Cliff Coleman, John Steen (2 gold medals: Coleman and D. Ekins) |
| On Any Sunday | 1971, dir. Bruce Brown; funded by McQueen (Solar Productions, ~$313,000); nominated for Oscars 1972 |
| Collection | Over 200 motorcycles; Triumph, Indian, 1915 Cyclone, desert sleds |
| Favorite brand | Triumph (scramblers / desert sleds) |
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
Did Steve McQueen do the motorcycle jump in The Great Escape?
No. The jump over the barbed wire was performed by his stuntman friend Bud Ekins, as the film's insurers forbade McQueen from attempting it. However, McQueen did perform most of the other motorcycle scenes in the film himself.
Which motorcycle was used for the jump scene?
A Triumph TR6 Trophy 650 cc, disguised to resemble a German military motorcycle from World War II, as no BMW of the era was capable of such a jump.
Did Steve McQueen really race in the Six Days?
Yes. In September 1964, he represented the United States at the International Six Days Trial in Erfurt, East Germany, on a Triumph TR6 650. He crashed and had to withdraw, but two of his teammates won gold medals.
What was McQueen's role in On Any Sunday?
He financed and co-produced this Bruce Brown documentary (1971) through his company Solar Productions, with a budget of approximately $313,000, in addition to appearing in it. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1972.
What was Steve McQueen's favorite motorcycle brand?
Triumph. He was particularly fond of scramblers and desert sleds, these large British twin-cylinder bikes prepared for off-road riding, even though he owned over 200 motorcycles of all brands and eras.
