Steve McQueen died in 1980 at age 50 of cancer. At the time of his death, he had around 50 meaningful cars and 100 meaningful motorcycles, a lot of parts and basket cases, and a knack for choosing classics. McQueen wasn’t just some star who liked to drive fast (yes, he got stacks of speeding tickets that he always succeeded not to pay) but was a serious motorhead. Steve McQueen was so bike and car crazy that studios issued cease and desist orders for him to stop racing. Contrary to studios requests, author Matt Stone in his new book “McQueen Machines” explains that as McQueen became a bigger star he began to use his influence to get cars and bikes in films. Racing through the streets of San Francisco in "Bullitt," on a motorcycle in "The Great Escape," in a Formula One car in "Le Mans," or bouncing over the sand in a dune buggy in "The Thomas Crown Affair". He was Hollywood’s King of Cool when it came to cars and motorcycles. Even Sterling Moss the legendary racer thought McQueen would have been a pretty good full-time racer had his day job not gotten in the way. In this new book you will find cool color photos of the star and of his machines and a bunch of talk about engines and RPMs. With a foreword by Steve’s son, Chad McQueen, photos from the family archive, and a wealth of details about the star’s amateur racing career, his movie stunt work, and his passion for car and motorcycle collecting, “McQueen’s Machines” is a very good book about a man’s driving passion and an excellent gift idea for your Christmas.
McQueen’s Machines. The Cars And Bikes Of A Hollywood Icon.
Published by November 12th, 2007 in Books and Editorial.3 Responses to “McQueen’s Machines. The Cars And Bikes Of A Hollywood Icon.”
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It makes me think that I should watch again some of these movies.
Old chopper,
exactly what I was intensioned to do also. The first film I ever saw with Steve McQueen, was “LE MANS”. It was back in 1972, one year after the release in the USA. I was a 16-year old boy with nothing else on my mind than fast cars and big bikes.
I still remember that little cinema (In Torhout, a small town in Northern Belgium) near our home with the f*cking hard woodn seats. Back in those years they were showing every time two (!) films. So your butt was still hearting 2 hours after you left the cinema. But that didn’t hold me to go back and see it 2 more times. After that, I dicovered “The Great Escape”, “The Getaway”, “Bullit” and so on…….
Even now, they are still wondering if Steve did realy ride himself the car in LE MANS for some hours. The legend still lives there in France. My wife is from LE MANS, so I can tell you.
I hope I can get my hand on that book….. So I can be the boy again I was back in time. In those years I was young and beautyfull, and now I just beautyfull….no kidding….
good stuff