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Steve McQueen was not only one of the most famous actors of the 1960s and 1970s, he was also an avid motorcyclist and supporter of the hobby. Among his many great contributions to the sport was financing the influential movie, On Any Sunday, in which he rode with his friends Malcolm Smith and Mert Lawwill.

McQueen’s enthusiasm did wonders for motorcycling’s image during a time when the general public often looked at motorcyclists with disdain. The actor’s first motorcycle was an Indian, which he rode around New York City during the early 1950s. Later in life, it was again the Indian marque, according to his wife Barbara, that remained his favorite.

This lovely 1936 Chief was sold as part of the famous 1984 McQueen Estate Auction in Las Vegas. It is accompanied today by that auction’s original certificate of authenticity, the signed Bill of Sale, and the official 1984 odometer reading statement. Fitted with a later-type engine, the Chief retains a wonderful patina that lends the bike a charming amount of character and conveys its authentic nature.