1964 – E Germany bound. Steve McQueen getting the bikes they used for the International Six Day Trials behind the iron curtain. Other fella is John Steen, also an off-road racer who, along with Ed Kretz Jr., Cliff Coleman and Dave & Bud Ekins, were key players in the SoCal desert racing scene. Steens family we’re in the oil & lubricant business as well as the popular ‘Taco’ mini bike. Steve looks as cool as ever with the desert boots, white socks, Fred Perry polo shirt and Persol sunglasses. (acknowledgements to Les Elmer in NZ for finding this image)
If you want to put mikes under your wheels, and carry a few odds and ends, what better way than aboard a 1400cc Ninja rocket. Make sure your bags are well strapped down for the ton plus speeds you’ll be encountering.
Known as “an American rockabilly legend who defined the greasy-haired, leather-jacketed, hot rods ‘n’ babes spark of rock and roll.” His ‘56 hit “Be-bop-a-lula” was written whilst recuperating in a naval hospital following a motorcycle accident. The injury was whilst riding a new Triumph bought with a $612 re-enlistment pay. Here he sits astride a Triumph in the late sixties on what certainly looks like a suburban English street.
“When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.”
Gangs of the open road. One per centers wear their signature vests, oily blue jeans and mechanics boots. As well as the ubiquitous Harleys they also tore around on chopped Triumphs like the Pre-Unit shown here.
Gotta love the early 20th Century imagination of where things will go as an inspired future beckoned. Art Deco form with streamlining lines. We were promised the future: we’ll, here we are? Where are our flying cars, excess relaxation time, less stress. I think we took a wrong turn somewhere!
Most published illustrations are based on staged photographs. Norman Rockwell’s covers for The Saturday Evening Post we’re such examples. Here is a piece of work by one of his contemporaries Gil Elvgren, who was known for his pin-up girls as well as advertising illustrations for companies such as Brown & Bigelow. Many of his ladies ended up as nose art on WW2 bombers.
– the Automobile Association combination must have been through a ford on the way to a breakdown. Ready enough to tip it up and drain the cylinders. Fishtail muffler seems appropriate.
Between 1985 and 1995 cartoonist Bill Watterson created the wonderful duo of a mischievous six year boy and his imaginary feline companion. The newspaper strip was awaited for each day – especially when he was looking forward to his beanie hat. Here is someone’s reiteration of the pair haring down a hillside upon a motorcycle.
At 95 Gina Lollobrigita had a full and interesting life. As a sex symbol in post-war Europe she acted in several films opposite leading men such as Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster, and , as seen on the lower right image, Rock Hudson. Later life saw her move to the other side of the camera, where, as a photojournalist, she managed to get an interview with Fidel Castro. (1927-2023)
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