Steve McQueen: A Passion for Speed

Even 30 years after his death, Steve McQueen remains an icon of cool. His image continues to appear in advertising and pop culture, and car, motorcycle, and racing fans embrace him as one of their own. Now comes this volume featuring rare photography and chronicling McQueen’s fascination with and passion for all things internal-combustion powered. McQueen’s movie characters always had a great motorcycle or car—from the 650cc “BMW” motorcycle (a disguised Triumph) in The Great Escape (1963) to the Gulf Porsche 917 race car he raced in Le Mans (1971). His need for speed propelled him from Hollywood into a number of top off-road motorcycle races, including the Baja 1000, Mint 400, and Elsinore Grand Prix. Determined to be ahead of the pack, McQueen trained vigorously, weight lifting, running, and studying martial arts. Steve McQueen A Passion for Speed reflects a life lived in the moment and with the pedal to the metal.