Sold: Steve McQueen’s beautiful alcohol-powered Excelsior Super X

An incredibly special bike in its own right, the Excelsior Super X was the first mass-produced American 740cc (45ci) V-twin, launching in 1925 and kickstarting a big V-twin trend among the likes of Indian and Harley-Davidson. Interestingly, the Super X was actually developed by Harley-Davidson’s Assistant Chief Engineer, Arthur Constantine, who took the design to Excelsior after Walter Davidson turned it down.

Due to its factory-built flat track nature, this model features a racing frame, an oversized rear fender, no front fender, short exhaust headers, and an alcohol-fuelled, race tuned engine. There’s no lighting or electrics, nor a front brake, with just a single drum on the rear.

McQueen kept this bike until his death in 1980, riding it on his Santa Paula ranch and the surrounding lanes. Sold in 1984 as part of the McQueen estate auction, was sold once again this past weekend by Mecum auctions in Las Vegas.

According to the listing, it remains unrestored since his ownership, and still runs. Sold with all the accompanying documentation, and a certificate of authenticity. A ‘king of cool’ fan has got themselves a very lovely two-wheeled companion.