ISDT 1964: Happy Birthday Steve McQueen 24 March 1930

24 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Enduro, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Barbour, international, ISDT 1964, Steve McQueen, Triumph

The pages connected to the ISDT 1964 produce heavy traffic for the site.

Photo of Steve McQueen ISDT 1964(Courtesy FIM / Paris Match)

Never more so in Hollywood did an actor maintain a loyal fanatical following as Steve. Not because he was particularly cookie or that his Shakespearean appearances were milestones. Its because for all the hype most stars get nobody knows who the heck they are off set. They lock themselves away at night in Beverley Hills and do what? we don’t know but Steve… he was a racer he raced anything if it had a motor, he collected it if it had a motor, he hung out with guys who dug motors. Steve was a Petrolhead and so much so he allowed his passion for motors flow into his work. The passion he had for his stuff makes his films stand out. It’s a bizzare coincidence that his birthday falls within a day of the anniversary of the break out in the real great escape, the film he piloted one of his beloved Triumphs to do many of his own stunts in the film not just relying on the great Bud Ekins to do his stunts and one of his hallmark pieces.

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What year did Steve McQueen start the International Six Days Trial (ISDT)

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Places, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Barbour, Competition, Steve McQueen

Stange title for this blog .. surely we all must know by now, but I have noticed in my site stats, the search engine query list keeps showing ‘What year did Steve McQueen Race the ISDT’ is a common search and is bringing a lot of visitors to the site and the Steve McQueen pages are getting a lot of action so I decided to google the search phrase to see what’s up?

it was then I discovered this year Barbour are running a promotion on the back of it’s Steve McQueen Limited Edition collection to win a trip to this years ISDE in Sardinia, this year is the 100th anniversary of the first ISDT. So not to let anyone else miss the chance to have a go at this wonderful opportunity to experience and ISDE wearing one of Barbour’s iconic ‘International’ motorcycle off road jackets here is the competition. If you don’t win and want to know a bit more about the ISDE and ISDT why not catch up with the Anniversary event being held to celebrate the centenary of the holding of the first ISDT in Carlisle in the English Lake District in August 2013

If you came here looking for the answer it is here ISDT East Germany and here is a page covering more about Steve’s exploits at the ISDT of that year

Barbour competition to visit the ISDE Sardinia 2013

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The price of fame: Steve McQueen and the ISDT

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Book, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Places, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Barbour, international, ISDT 1964, Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen‘s ‘star’ shines as brightly as ever these days, and the man is still relevant some 30 years after he left us. You will see his image on the pages of glossy lifestyle magazines promoting sunglasses, wristwatches, jackets and motorcars. Steve’s fan base is global and we know this from experience: when great McQueen property is offered, the telephones light up from Japan to Australia, from Britain to the United States.

While many of his contemporaries slip into obscurity, why does McQueen continue to hold our interest? Well, he starred in some of the most memorable movies of the Twentieth Century, he was an accomplished racecar driver, he was a great shot, he flew vintage aeroplanes, and he was also something of a hit with the ladies. McQueen could ride a motorcycle too; in fact he was bloody good — so good that together with pals Bud and Dave Ekins, Cliff Coleman and John Steen he represented the United States of America at the 1964 International Six Day Trials (ISDT).

the ISDT 1964 would take place in the Communist Eastern bloc during the height of the Cold War. On September 5, 1964 in a packed hall in Erfurt, East Germany complete with a large picture of Walter Ulbricht the then leader of the German Democratic Republic, McQueen — in what has been reported as one of the proudest moments of his life — carried the ‘Stars and Stripes’ for the US team at the opening ceremony.

I’ve got a box full of my old outdated racing licenses probably worth a grand total of £0.00 but Steve’s license a folded piece of card the size of a cigarette packet, Steve’s sold for US$ 42,700 …. the price and value of fame eh!