Marlon Brando’s 1969 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra-Glide sold over the weekend, and the original estimates were right on target. The bike was estimated to sell from $200,000 to $300,000 and was sold at Julien’s Hollywood Legends auction for $256,000. Marlon Brando purchased the bike in 1970, after playing Johnny Strabler in The Wild One, the beginning of his the biker bad-boy image.
The motorcycle has 13,859 original miles and was sold with the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles Notice of Transfer from Los Angeles Harley-Davidson. On his passion for motorcycles Brando said: “During those early years in New York, I often got on my motorcycle in the middle of the night and went for a ride anyplace.” After the auction, Darren Julien, President of Julien’s said: ”Brando owned this motorcycle during his bad boy era, right before the first Godfather film. It’s from an incredible era of his life, and the motorcycle in itself is a piece of artwork”
It’s amazing a motorcycle that Marlon Brando probably put his butt on two or three times sells for a quarter million dollars! I think it’s obvious that some people have more money than brains!
At second glance….
Putting a “Grab-rail” on a solo seat doesn’t make much sense……
-nicker-
“It’s amazing a motorcycle that Marlon Brando probably put his butt on two or three times sells for a quarter million dollars! I think it’s obvious that some people have more money!”
fixed
Some Harley Dealer would of fitted it and charged plenty…nothing has changed.
Sell the bike and make lots more out of the accessories
HOLY CHIT !!!!!
Somebody has WAYY too much $$$$
if they want to give it away, I’ll be happy to get some
& put it toward a new cycle that i would RIDE & not stick in a living room
Marlon Brando rode bikes before the Wild One. The character of Johnny rode a Triumph because that was Marlon Brando’s own bike.
Boots, it is thought the Mr Brando put the vast majority of miles on that bike.
niker, what better way to get a young honey to press herself up against you for the short trip from the bar back to your pad.
Must have been bought by an s-corp as a promo item and tax write off. Anything else in incomprehensible.
People in 1969/1970 were not fat pigs as now 2015. Look at all the seats/saddles from the factory on FLH Electra Glides they had grab rails.
I left out 2 people in those days1969/1970 could sit on a seat that size.
Well, it’s their money. Every day peeps make stupid decisions about how to spend their scratch, more than one of them will drop 250k today and have nada to show for it tomorrow. At least the buyer here has a piece of history that will inevitably be worth more to the next guy or gal.
I would caution him to drain the fluids before he showcases it in his livingroom. It is a ’69 and that year cannot be housebroken.
re:
“… think it’s obvious that some people have more money …”
Or they realize what money the have is increasingly worth less and so are just converting they $s to stuff.
-nicker-
Why are folks so peturbed about how others spend their own money?
RE:
“…how others spend their own money…”
How indeed…!!!
Its the key to Capitalism.
In the aggregate that “how” effects us all.
And paying attention is how you pass the final exam, which determines your grad….
how well you or even if you negotiate Retirement.
-nicker-
@ nicker Very true, and right now the Country seems to be undecided on “how” to deal with others’ disposable wealth. On one hand it was considered honorable and normal to do things with one’s goods and services that would encourage others’ discretionary cash to flow our way in trade. On the other, it seems that 50% or more of the population will vote for anyone who promises to simply steal other’s discretionary funds and give them some of it. Worse yet, we’re encouraged to hate and hobble those who’s money is being handed to us. Personally I wouldn’t care if some ardent Brando fan had paid a million for the bike, as long as it wasn’t a million of somebody else’s stash.
RE:
“…the Country seems to be undecided on “how” to deal with others’ disposable wealth …”
Seems some have already “decided,” for example:
– Perhaps your 401K should be Nationalized…. “for the common good”….
– Because “we’re all in this together”……
– You never accomplished anything by yourself…..
– Not to mention that motorcycles are at least as bad for you as “super-sized soft-drinks”…..
– We can’t have you hurting yourself now can we….
– That damned Rebel flag is all Bush’s fault and…. (wait for it)…..
“…Everything we do is for the children…..”.
Anyone remember what it is to be a real biker….???
(Just wondering)
-nicker-
“…Everything we do is for the children…..” Sadly, most folks won’t even know who you’re referring to…
But half of-em are hollering “Hilldabeast queen.”……….. 🙁
-nicker-
What is it to be a “real biker?”
I ride my bike thousands of miles annually, sometimes monthly.
I take care of my family, respect my wife, receive an honest paycheck for an honest day’s work, and pay my bills.
I mind my own business.
I’m sure some on this blog will refuse their nationalized 401K benefits, aka Social Security and Medicare, out of principle, right? (Sound of crickets chirping).
Real bikers don’t use nationalized highways if a toll road is available; toll roads only when they are available as a matter of principal. No Commie roads if there are options.
There are a lot of people on this blog. Somebody chime in: Who has accomplished everything in their life to a level of success (define success how you will) on their own with no help from anybody, ever?
Americans are, in general, obese. Been to a rally lately?
Nobody blames Bush for anything except destroying the economy with out of control spending and a reduction in federal income (would a “real biker” run his house this way) and purposely lying to attack a sovereign nation.
Okay, the Rebel flag argument has gotten out of hand. The Dukes of Hazard didn’t make me a racist.
It did make me appreciate the Duke Boys “fighting the system like two modern day Robin Hoods” though.
Now, Now Chris……
A wise man once said…. “Never fall in love with a Politician, they’ll always break your heart.”
And so “real bikers” understands this and know exactly how the Government works. At least enough so that they don’t rely on Government programs or anything Republicans or Democrats promise-em (a wise man once said…. “Never fall in love with a Politician, they’ll always break your heart”).
A real biker knows good & well SSI wasn’t designed as a “benefit”… it was simply a government collected savings account. intended to supplement an individual’s retirement strategy (it was not intended as the only retirement income for anyone).
In the end the accumulated SSI savings were simply to tempting a target and were “appropriated” by Congress (i’m old enough to remember when they first raided that pot of gold) to “balance the budget”).
Bush wasn’t the only politician who initiated “out of control spending” but he gets way more credit for it than he deserves. Moreover, if you insist, lying is by no means unique t any politician.
The Stars and Bars are symbolic of the antebellum South (identified by many minorities as a symbol of their historic repression). As taxpayers they undoubtedly have a legitimate beef whenever that icon is flown at taxpayer’s expense.
The open market (entertainment… etc.) should determine the business case for the use of symbols. some like to display the German Iron cross or Hooked cross, just as some like o display the stars & bars. That’s a first amendment and a history issues.
Anyone is free to watch whatever is available. But in the end the Dukes (like Amos & Andy) will become casualties of relentless political correctness, a battle that every real biker knows all too well.
-nicker-
You can save the condescending paternal tone for somebody else. Having spent years working in both State and Federal government, this biker knows full well how Government works.
Just to clarify, you will be rejecting your Social Security checks and Medicare benefits out of principle, right?
Chriss,
Well, if you “knew how the Government worked”…. how did you get stuck with SSI…???
I too was a Government (Fed/State) employee and opted out of (“rejected”) SSI knowing full well i could do a better job of managing my own resources in the long run.
Certainly the current deal some folks have through Medicare and SSI is a lot better than mine. But we all know that gravy-train will end…. Look at Greece.
-nicker-
“You can save the condescending paternal tone for somebody else.” So, it’s only OK for you, but you forbid others to respond in kind? Guess you HAVE spent years working in both State and Federal government 🙂
As for, “refuse their nationalized 401K benefits, aka Social Security and Medicare, out of principle” it makes no sense at all. What principal would cause anyone who’s been forced to contribute to the programs from every single paycheck they’ve ever earned to refuse whatever benefits they’re supposed to collect afterwards? Given a choice, I never would have participated in SS, but I had no choice so I guess if I’m in for the screwing, I’m here for the baby.
“nationalized highways” are you serious? I expect Obama to tout lines like “you didn’t build that” but I cannot fathom anyone so messed up as to repeat it. Yeah, I’ll use the damn highways, I helped pay for them. BTW the perpetual losers, thieves, welfare dependent folks that we love to fertilize have/had equal access to those highways and are still failures so yup, I did build it myself and if I stop showing up it’ll die. (unless Barack is coming in to work for me tomorrow, he can STFU)