Steve McQueen may not be the greatest actor of all time, but for a distinct period in the 1960s and 70s, he was known as the coolest man alive — cool enough, in fact, to earn the moniker “The King of Cool.” He was also a gear enthusiast, affiliating himself with brands like Tag Heuer and Persol. (We like to think he would be a Gear Patrol reader if he were alive today.)
But McQueen nostalgia is perhaps at its most potent in the motoring world, where he’s an iconic figure in histories of the Ford Mustang, the Porsche 911 — and Triumph motorcycles.
McQueen rode a 1962 Triumph TR6 in a famous scene from a Nazi POW camp in the movie The Great Escape. It was backdated aesthetically to look like a bike that could have existed during the Second World War (which was enough to pass muster in ’60s filmmaking). Here in 2021, Triumph is commemorating that with a new (and awesome-looking) Scrambler 1200 Steve McQueen Edition.
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The base bike is the Scrambler 1200 XE, the more robust, off-pavement-ready version. The Steve McQueen Edition, which will be produced in a limited run of 1,000 units, adds Steve McQueen branding on the tank and the handlebar clamp. It also receives a custom Competition Green paint scheme, and packs has a host of premium Scrambler accessories. And, perhaps crucially for some buyers, the bike will come with a certificate of authenticity signed by both Triumph CEO Nick Bloor and Chad McQueen, son of Steve.