(November 12, 2013) WALWORTH, Wis. — Mecum Auctions will offer a rare piece of celebrity history at the second annual Anaheim auction Nov. 21-23 at the Anaheim Convention Center — a motorcycle once owned and ridden by “The King of Cool” Steve McQueen.

As the highest paid actor of his time, McQueen is best remembered for his roles in movies like “The Great Escape,” “The Getaway,” “Bullitt” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” In addition to his acting career, McQueen was an avid motorcycle and racecar enthusiast and a participant in off-road motorcycle racing. By the time of his death in 1980, McQueen had built up a personal collection of more than 100 classic rides.

While a part of McQueen’s vast motorcycle collection, this 1938 Harley-Davidson WLD is more than just one of a hundred, it’s one that McQueen actually rode, and it is now set to ride Mecum’s red carpet in Anaheim.

“There’s a big difference between a bike that McQueen owned and bike that McQueen rode,” commented Mecum Auctions’ founder and president, Dana Mecum.

The original and unrestored motorcycle was sold at the 1984 Steve McQueen estate sale at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. This rare Solo Sport edition features a Silver Tan and Sunshine Blue paint scheme and shows just 21,000 miles on its odometer. McQueen’s fully documented ownership will accompany the sale in addition to his personal tools found wrapped in a piece of denim in the frame-mounted tool box.

This storied piece of McQueen history will cross Mecum’s auction block on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Anaheim. Doors to the event open each day at 8 a.m. and portions of all three days of the auction will be broadcast live on Discovery’s Velocity Network.

Mecum will also present a live stream of the entire auction at www.mecum.com. Mecum’s website is updated daily with the latest consignments including detailed descriptions and photographs of the vehicles. To view the list, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder for the Anaheim auction, visit www.mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050.