The Steve McQueen collection
By Dan Kahn
The rough howl of a well-worn 650 pierces the morning calm. Then you see him, a steely-eyed rebel sliding around the bend and launching an old Triumph Trophy over a barbed wire fence to freedom. In The Great Escape, Steve McQueen cemented his position as a stone-cold man of action, the real deal. He was known as much for his high-octane off-screen adventures as he was for his status as Hollywood’s highest-paid actor in the 1960s and ‘70s. McQueen played by his own rules, and has left behind an aura of mystery and grit that survives to this day.
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles honored the legendary actor and speed freak with an exhibit titled “Steve McQueen: The Legend and The Cars” that ran from September 24, 2005, through April 9, 2006. The large showcase featured art and memorabilia from the actor’s movies and real life, along with a few stunning examples of his personal cars and bikes—many of them British.
While McQueen’s most famous rides included various Porsches and off-road race trucks, McQueen was, at heart, a believer in the “less is more” motorsports philosophy. His first new car was a modified MGTC that he used to rip around New York’s East Village.
Later, after securing a contract with MGM, McQueen’s speed addiction got more serious. He was often seen buzzing through town in full-blown racecars, including a rare Jag XK-SS and a highly modified Mini Cooper. His true passion, however, was motorcycles; specifically big-bore Triumphs that were prepped by his good friend, racing partner, and stunt double Bud Ekins. The Petersen did an excellent job showcasing some of these vehicles, along with an assortment of McQueen film clips and historical artifacts. The exhibit will be over by the time you read this, but we managed to grab an all-access pass to show off the best bits here in British Motoring.
One of just 16 built, this ultra-rare XK-SS was originally owned by noted Riverside Raceway designer James Edward Peterson, who sold it to TV personality Bill Leyden. When McQueen bought the car it was white, so he had the car sprayed green and convinced hot rod upholstery guru Tony Nancy to redo the interior. McQueen got so many speeding tickets in the Jag the first year he owned it that his license was nearly revoked.
In 1964, Steve McQueen was the biggest movie star on earth. Which makes the fact that he was the first American to ever compete in the grueling International Six Days Trial motorcycle race in East Germany all the more incredible. Because he was used to racing Triumphs in the Southern California desert, he had Bud Ekins prep this ‘64 TR6SC for the race with a close-ratio gearbox, modified cam and pistons, and lightweight aluminum fenders.
While filming The Great Escape, the German Military BMW the producers bought for the famous escape scene wasn’t powerful enough to clear the walls of the Nazi prison camp. McQueen’s associate and Sherman Oaks, CA, motorcycle dealer Bud Ekins brought in this 1961 TR6 modified to look like a WWII-era German bike, and did the jump scene himself. The scene was shot in a single take, and Ekins flew 12 feet in the air over a distance of 80 feet.
In the early 1950s, McQueen finally managed to parlay his rough childhood into a successful acting career on stage. With a little money in his pocket for the first time in his life, the young actor bought an MG TC that he used to terrify young actresses in the East Village. The whereabouts of the actual McQueen TC are unknown, but this incredibly clean supercharged 1948 model stood in its place.
McQueen’s 1961 Mini Cooper S was only uncovered recently, and is currently awaiting restoration. The actor originally had the car modified with a large sunroof, oversize tires, camouflage brown paint, and a Tony Nancy interior.
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