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The Steve McQueen Sale - 11 November 2006 - Results

A McQueen collector – or perhaps someone simply looking for the grooviest pair of shades on the planet – paid $70,200 for the American movie idol’s 1960s folding Persol sunglasses at last weekend’s Bonhams & Butterfields Californian sale. How cool is that?

On Saturday, November 11, 2006 Bonhams & Butterfields offered and sold property from the widow of Steve McQueen at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, bringing more than $1-million for vintage motorcycles, biking memorabilia, home furnishings and antique toys acquired by the actor and his wife Barbara.

Motorbikes from various owners and Steve McQueen memorabilia from other collections brought as much as $1.9-million for a grand total of $2.9-million for the day.

Top lots of the Sale included:

From the Collection of Barbara McQueen:

$177,500 paid for a circa 1934 Indian Sport Scout, one of the maker’s most successful models in the 1930s and a favourite marque of Steve McQueen (lot # 176, est. $15 - 20,000)

$150,000 paid for Steve McQueen’s circa 1920 Indian Powerplus Daytona racing bike (lot # 177, est. $60 - 90,000)

$128,000 paid for a 1958 GMC 101-series pickup truck, part of his ten-car collection housed at a famous Beverly Hills hotel during his extended stays in Southern California, described by Barbara McQueen as “Steve’s baby” (Lot # 178, est. $40 - 60,000)



$70,200 paid for Steve McQueen’s pair of Persol sunglasses with blue tinted lenses, believed to be worn in the opening scenes of the Thomas Crown Affair (Lot # 62, est. $2 - 3,000).

Text - Classic Driver
Photos - Courtesy Barbara Minty McQueen/Bonhams & Butterfields - Strictly Copyright


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