He made movies best remembered for their wild car chases, mad motorcycle dashes, and hair-raising races, but no one forgets the man at the wheel--Steve McQueen, the King of Cool. No other Hollywood star has been so closely linked with cars and bikes. It is this connection that McQueens Machines explores, giving readers a close-up look at the cars and motorcycles McQueen drove in movies, those he owned, and others he raced.

From the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback he drove in Bullitt (in the greatest car chase of all time) to his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in "The Thomas Crown Affair", from the Triumph motorcycle of "The Great Escape" to the Gulf-Porsche 917K he actually raced in "Le Mans", the cars and bikes that McQueen made famous in films make another appearance here.

The book also features the cars, motorcycles, and even airplanes that McQueen owned over the years, including two motorcycles that fetched record prices at a recent auction: a 1937 Crocker "Hemi-head" V-Twin and a 1920 Indian Powerplus Daytona. Among notable cars profiled in the book are a 1959 Porsche Speedster bought new by McQueen, a 1957 Jaguar XKSS, a 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso, a 1953 Siata 208S, a 1965 Ferrari 275 NART Spyder, and a 1969 "Le Mans" Porsche 911S.

With a foreword by Steve's son, Chad McQueen, and a wealth of details about the stars amateur racing career, his movie stunt work, and his car and motorcycle collecting, McQueens Machines draws a fascinating picture of one outsized mans driving passion.

Playboy, December 2007

“Think of this book as a love story. It was good to be king.”

Men’s Journal, January 2007

“Though both a ladies’ man and a man’s man, Steve McQueen was first and foremost a gearhead. He performed many of his own driving stunts. He raced across American deserts and European road courses on two wheels and four. He had the balls to pilot the terrifying Porsche 917 flat out down the Mulsanne straight and ride a Triumph through Paris traffic. McQueen’s Machines is the first complete look inside the man’s garage and, as a result, one of the few peeks inside his head.”

AutoWeek, Oct. 29, 2007

“Well-written, entertaining book … all of the pertinent details are here.”
 
Motortrend.com, Nov. 26, 2007

“A must have for any Steve McQueen fan.”

Born To Ride, October 2007

“This compilation is a wealth of detail about the star’s amateur racing career, his movie stunt work, and his car and motorcycle collecting. All of this information draws a fascinating picture of one outsized man’s driving passion.”

Musclecar Enthusiast, January 2008

“It includes many never before published photos, including those from McQueen family albums … a special treat for fans is a foreword by McQueen’s son, Chad.”

Antique Automobile, November/December 2007

“Draws a fascinating picture of one outsized man’s driving passion.”

Robb Report Collection, December 2007

“This 176-page book reads like a magazine and is filled with never-before-seen photographs.”

Classic & Sports Car (UK), December 2007

Book of the Month: “If you only have one book on the King of Cool in your library, this should be it.”

The Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 11, 2007

“McQueen was hard wired for cars and racing, with his love for all things mechanical and innate competitive nature that comes through in the book.”
 

Edmunds.com, Dec. 23, 2007

“Author Matt Stone skips all the Hollywood crap and gets right to the cars and motorcycles McQueen collected or made famous.”

Cycle World, January 2008

“Thumbs up to Steve McQueen for continuing to be the King of Cool, no matter that he puffed his last Marlboro 28 years ago. Hot on the heels of his 1963 Ferrari GT 250 Berlinetta selling for a record $2.3 million at auction comes a new book, McQueen’s Machines by auto writer Matt Stone. Nicely done, including a chapter on McQueen’s motorcycles.”

He made movies best remembered for their wild car chases, mad motorcycle stunts, and wheel-to-wheel racing action, but no one forgets the man at the wheel—Steve McQueen, the King of Cool. No other Hollywood star has been so closely linked with cars and bikes. McQueen’s Machines celebrates this deep-seated connection, giving readers a close-up look at the automobiles and motorcycles in McQueen’s garage, those he drove in movies, and others he raced. From the 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 fastback he drove in Bullitt (in the greatest car chase of all time) to the custom Corvair-powered Manx dune buggy in The Thomas Crown Affair, from the Triumph motorcycle of The Great Escape to the Gulf-Porsche 917 he drove at top speed in Le Mans, the cars and bikes that McQueen made famous in films make an encore appearance here.

The book also features the cars, motorcycles, and even airplanes that McQueen owned over the years, including the 1958 Porsche Speedster he purchased new and then raced, a 1957 Jaguar XK-SS, a 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso, a 1953 Siata 208S, a 1965 Ferrari 275 NART Spyder, and a 1969 Porsche 911S, to name but a few.

With a foreword by Steve’s son, Chad McQueen, photos from the family archive, and a wealth of details about the star’s amateur racing career, his movie stunt work, and his passion for car and motorcycle collecting, McQueen’s Machines draws a fascinating picture of one outsized man’s driving passion.

He helped build a hot rod before he could legally drive. In the service, he hopped up a tank’s engine in the hopes of getting it to go faster. As a young acting student, he tore through Greenwich Village on his motorcycle. In 1970, he nearly won the 12 Hours of Sebring in a Porsche 908. He raced buggies in Baja, rode motorcycles all over the world, and built entire movies around his love of automobiles and motorsport. Beyond his status on stage and screen, Steve McQueen was a certifiable motorhead, and McQueen’s Machines celebrates his passion as a car enthusiast, racer, and motorcyclist.