Even 30 years after his death, Steve McQueen remains an icon of cool. His image continues to appear in advertising and pop culture, and car, motorcycle, and racing fans embrace him as one of
their own. Now comes this volume featuring rare photography and chronicling McQueen’s fascination with and passion for all things internal-combustion powered.
McQueen’s movie characters always had a great motorcycle or car—from the 650cc “BMW” motorcycle (a disguised Triumph) in The Great Escape (1963); to the 1968 Ford Mustang GT fastback
he drove in the seminal Bullitt chase scene (1968); to the Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spyder roadster in the provocative The Thomas Crown Affair (1968); and the Gulf Porsche 917
race car he raced in Le Mans (1971).
His need for speed propelled him from Hollywood into a number of top off-road motorcycle races, including the Baja 1000, Mint 400, and Elsinore Grand Prix. Determined to be ahead of the pack,
McQueen maintained his body like a machine. He trained vigorously, weight lifting, running, and studying martial arts.
Steve McQueen offers a fresh, photo-heavy look into the star’s various high-speed pursuits, from desert racing to Le Mans, sports cars to antique motorcycles. Steve McQueen and
Speed reflects a life lived in the moment and with the pedal to the metal.
