Steve McQueen’s Harley Up for Auction

On Jan. 26 in Vegas, Harley Enthusiasts Can Bid on 1912 X8E Big Twin Once Owned by the Iconic Hollywood Actor

American actor Steve McQueen was cinema royalty. He was crowned “The King of Cool” and Hollywood was his kingdom. But there were no snooty chauffeurs or limos in McQueen’s garage. He drove himself around. That’s one of many things that made him so cool.

On screen, McQueen was known for flying down the streets of San Francisco in a green Ford Mustang in Bullitt and tearing through the French countryside in a Porsche race car in Le Mans. He cruised the countryside on a motorcycle in the 1963 movie The Great Escape.

Off set, he could be seen driving equally memorable vehicles, whether they had two or four wheels. McQueen owned a variety of cars and trucks, such as a curvaceous Jaguar XKSS, a handsome 1950s GMC pickup, and numerous motorcycles. One of Mr. Cool’s coolest rides was a working 1912 Harley-Davidson X8E Big Twin, which is going up for auction later this month in Las Vegas. It comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by his children. McQueen supposedly rode this bike in at least one Pre-1916 motorcycle event.

“The X8E was Harley’s top of the range model, and at $310 cost $10 more than the standard 6.5hp twin,” according to the Bonhams auction house. “The 1912 Harley 8hp twins are rare, as the engine capacity was only increased from 49ci to 60ci mid year, making it a more powerful and desirable machine, and the first ‘Big Twin’.”

This particular X8E has its perfectly finned original cylinders and matching engine/cylinder barrel stampings, as well as a rare crankcase breather/primary chain lubricator.

Cosmetically, it is a mixed bag. It looks as if there’s some original paint left. But there’s a rumor that much of the red you see came from a rattle can. Legend has it that McQueen and his pal Kenny Howard (aka Von Dutch) started spray-painting the bike after throwing back a drink or six. After leaving McQueen’s garage and finding a new owner, this Harley received upgraded, safer wheel rims. It also got a revamped headlamp to prepare it for participation in vintage bike rallies.

If you want to make this Harley-Davidson your own, you’re about to get that chance. But get ready to pay the estimated selling price of $100,000-$120,000. The bike is one of the star attractions at the Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction. The hotly-anticipated event is happening at Sin City’s Rio Hotel and Casino on Jan. 26.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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