Steve McQueen Collection to be sold by Bonhams &
Butterfields in November
Auction action at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles
Saturday 11th November 2006
Bonhams & Butterfields is proud to have been a sponsor of this past
weekend's Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d'Elegance, and the
leading West Coast auction house considered it no more fitting a time to
announce the sale of the Steve McQueen Collection. Collectors, fans and biking
enthusiasts are sure to agree that McQueen was a true American motoring legend.
Bonhams & Butterfields is honored to be appointed by Barbara McQueen
Brunsvold to present for sale at auction hundreds of personal effects belonging
to the utterly charismatic, much-loved - and much-missed - 20th Century icon
Steve McQueen.
The sale, set to take place Saturday November 11th at the Petersen Automotive
Museum in Los Angeles, will feature Steve McQueen's personal collection
including motorcycles, and motorcycle clothing - including his Belstaff jacket
and padded motorcycle sweatshirts.
The auction will also feature tinplate toys from the movie The Hunter together
with guns, saddles, and other movie props from Tom Horn.
In addition to clothes and tinplate toys, the sale will feature a vast array of
motoring memorabilia including enamel advertising signs, petrol pumps, and sale
brochures - many for Indian Motorcycles - a marque that Steve adored so
passionately.
Steve's truck - bearing the license plate number MCQ3188, a reference to the
time he spent at the Junior Boys Republic Reform School in Chino as a teenager -
will be offered, as will a pair of his Persol foldaway sunglasses - made famous
by Steve in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair and in countless images in the
many books about 'The King of Cool'.
The personal effects offered at this sale have never previously been exhibited
and therefore represent a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to own a part of the
McQueen Legend.
The great man's widow, Barbara McQueen Brunsvold, says:
"For over 25 years I have held on to the many items that Steve collected
over the years. I know that there is a public who would love to own a piece of
his collection, out of their love, admiration and respect for him, and so I am
pleased to have Bonhams & Butterfields represent me in this sale."
"Bonhams & Butterfields is both honored and excited to be appointed by
Barbara to offer for sale so many of Steve McQueen's personal effects - so
reflective of his passion for collecting. 25 years after his premature death,
Steve's persona remains ever-present in the motoring world. Whether on a
billboard in Times Square promoting a Ford Mustang, or on a page of a magazine
advertising a TAG Heuer wristwatch, his legend is as important and relevant
today as it was in his heyday as one of Hollywood's most charismatic and
maverick stars" said Mark Osborne, Motoring Department Head and
Specialist-in-charge.
This sale offers Steve McQueen's worldwide legion of fans the opportunity to
take part in a truly historic sale with the chance to own part of his very
personal collection, perhaps a credit card or a knife inscribed by his friend
Von Dutch…
Sale catalogs are now available. Bonhams & Butterfields will donate 50% of
the proceeds from catalog sales to the 'Make a Wish' Foundation, a charity that
Steve supported during his lifetime.
Click
here to download a catalog order form or email info.us@bonhams.com
or call +1 (800) 223 2854 ext 3550
Details on this and other Bonhams auctions are available on www.bonhams.com.
A dedicated website with news of this special auction will be at www.bonhams.com/mcqueen,
updated regularly as the sale date approaches.
The Estate of Steve McQueen is neither a participant nor sponsor of this sale.
Press Contacts:
UK: Josephine Olley on +44 (0)207 468 8229, email: press@bonhams.com
USA: Levi Morgan on +1 415 503 3348, email: levi.morgan@bonhams.com
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers
of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in
November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August
2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on
the West Coast of America, and in August 2003, Goodmans, a leading Australian
fine art and antiques auctioneer with salerooms in Sydney, joined the Bonhams
Group of Companies. Today, Bonhams is the third largest and fastest growing
auction house in the world with a global network of offices and regional
representatives providing sales advice and valuation services in 20 countries.
It offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in
London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further 10 throughout the UK.
Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the
USA; and Switzerland, Monaco, and Australia. For a full listing of upcoming
sales, plus details of more than 40 Bonhams specialist departments, go to
http://www.bonhams.com/. For other press releases, go to www.bonhams.com/press.