Easy Rider's Captain America Motorcycle Sells for 1.34 Million

YAHOO AUTOS

 

 

 

Call me crazy, but $1.35 million bucks is a bit much for a hard tail; not sure if I'd ever pay that much, if I even had that kind of money to begin with. What's the rule - if you don't have a house that costs that much, than maybe a motorcycle is out of your budget?

Captain America Motorcycle

Peter Fonda and co-star Dennis Hopper paired up to create the famous biker movie ever, Easy Rider, in 1969. (Fonda and Hopper starred in the movie; they co-wrote it along with Terry Southern, and Hopper directed it.)

 Named one of the top 100 movies ever made, it featured cinematography ahead of its time and was a far-out showcase of hippies and bikers. Showing a world of culture clashes, the movie is about two friends who set off on a cross-country tour of the United States, only to have their dreams smashed from prejudice (that's all I'll say, in case you've never seen the movie).

 

Peter Fonda's character didn't have a name in the movie, but is referenced once or twice as Captain America. His vintage hard tail Panhead chopper also donned the name Captain America, thanks to its stars and strips tank. It's a beautiful execution of a chopped Harley from the era, with a chrome frame, spoke wheels, peanut tank, ape hanger handlebars and King and Queen seat.


There were four bikes made for the movie, two of each. The surviving Captain America bike just went to auction, with a 1 million dollar reserve.  LA-based auction house, Profiles in History, sold the bike but will not reveal the buyer. An auction house known for big-money movie props, the bike was originally estimated to sell between 1 and 1.2 million.

Is This The Original?

That's probably a scary question if you're the new owner, wondering what you'd do if your 1.35 million dollar investment just dropped to about $20,000 in a flash. There's a blurry past, but the auction house told CNN, this is the real thing. Two Captain America bikes were built; one was rumored to have been in a building that burned down, which is the less likely story. The most recent story is that bike was stolen and yet to be recovered.

Michael Madsen, co-star and friend of Dennis Hopper, told the L.A. Times this is not the real bike, but a fake. The auction house sent out a press release saying they had all of the documentation to prove this is the real deal, including Fonda's stamp of approval.

“Captain America’s stretched-out American-flag-adorned panhead chopper is one of the most iconic images in American film”, noted Joseph M. Maddalena, President and Chief Operating Officer, Profiles in History.

 “The bike evokes powerful emotions even in non-bikers. It personifies the 60’s, all of the good and the bad that decade brought. This is an opportunity for someone to own a pure piece of nostalgic entertainment history.” Rider's Captain America Motorcycle Sells for 1.34 Million.