Scott Super Squirrel - First Look

Ho-ho, here we go again! Fresh from last month's Quail Resort auction that saw a beat-up ex-Steve McQueen Triumph desert racer sell for $85K, we now have another McQueen machine, a 1929 Scott Super Squirrel, about to go under the gavel. The auction, primarily for watches, will take place at Antiquorum's U.S. headquarters in New York City on June 11. Pre-sale estimate for the 596cc British two-stroke is $80,000–$120,000. Why so high? Well, the bike is in great running shape, and was owned by another famous person before it became McQueen's. From the Antiquorum auction catalog: "It was restored, painted and pinstriped in the 1970s by the legendary Kenny 'Von Dutch' Howard. The bike features the infamous Von Dutch 'flying eyeball' logo affixed in cloisonné to the toolbox, while the Scott logos are all hand-painted and finished in gold leaf. A unique feature of the bike is that Von Dutch mistakenly lettered the date on the front numberplate 1926 instead of the correct 1929."

Following his 1980 death, McQueen willed the Scott back to his friend Von Dutch. It's traded hands several times since, most recently at a 2007 Los Angeles auction where it was hammered down at $44,460, so somebody is looking to turn a nice little profit here.

If the Scott is a budget buster, two of McQueen's wristwatches, each valued at $10,000–$20,000, are also on the block. Step up, big spender!