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McQueen's motorcycles up for auction

Bonhams & Butterfields auctions McQueen memorabilia

Candace Lombardi
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
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Candace Lombardi

"I worked hard. And if you work hard, you get the goodies."

The gentleman who famously said that, the star of The Great Escape, Bullitt and Le Mans, was possibly referring to his extensive collection of cars and bikes.

motorcycle
Bonhams & Butterfields

Steve McQueen's widow is auctioning off several of those goodies Saturday at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, Calif., via Bonhams & Butterfields. Rumor has it that several collectors and celebrities are going to "fight like hell" to get them.

motorcycle
Bonhams & Butterfields

Among the collection from the "king of cool" are a circa 1920 Indian Powerplus Daytona racing bike, circa 1934 Indian Sport Scout, and a khaki green 1929 Harley-Davidson with red and gold striping.

motorcycle
Bonhams & Butterfields

In addition to the motorcycles, there are several vintage shotguns, jukeboxes, McQueen's Belstaff motorcycle jacket, and the Persol sunglasses he wore in the opening of The Thomas Crown Affair.

There is also a 1958 GMC 101-series pickup truck in blue.

For those of you wanting to look in person but not buy, the collection preview opens at 10 a.m. Thursday.