In the market for a bike?
Consider taking a cue from the King of Cool himself: Steve McQueen's 1931 Brough Superior SS80 motorcycle will go on sale during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance weekend.
McQueen is virtually the No. 1 guy for driving up the value of a classic, according to McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Classic Insurance.
Elvis is his only contender–but then Elvis never had the edge McQueen did on a bike.
The actor was known for owning many iconic motorcycles, including a 1937 Crocker "Hemi-head" V-Twin and a 1920 Indian Powerplus Daytona valued at more than $276,500 and $177,500, respectively.
But he owned just one Brough Superior, a brand that became famous as a favorite of WWI officer T.E. Lawrence. Roughly 1,000 were made from 1922 to 1940.
The McQueen association alone would make this 1,000cc SS80 a prize. But McQueen shared it with his pal Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard, the famous motorcycle artist whose flying eyeball decked much of his work (he didn't add it to this one, unfortunately).
McQueen owned the bike from 1976 or '77 to his death in 1980–he shared it with Von Dutch and then bequeathed it to his friend, who owned it until '83.
(In 1996, Von Dutch's daughters sold the rights to his name to Michael Cassel, who made surf clothes and established Von Dutch Originals in 1999.
The Von Dutch store opened on Melrose Avenue a year later.)
The Brough Superior will be sold at the Gooding & Company auction Aug. 20-21 and will include a letter of authenticity written by Steve's son, Chad. It is expected to fetch $100,000-$200,000.
