LOS ANGELES -- The iconic Harley-Davidson (IW 500/179) motorbike ridden by Peter Fonda in the 1969 classic "Easy Rider" is to go under the hammer in California, and auctioneers predict it will make at least $1 million.
The "Captain America" bike, complete with authenticating documents including a letter from Fonda, is being sold at entertainment industry auction house Profiles in History.
"Captain America's stretched-out American-flag-adorned panhead chopper is one of the most iconic images in American film," said the auctioneers' boss Joseph M. Maddalena. "The bike evokes powerful emotions even in non-bikers. It personifies the 60s, 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."
The red, white and blue stars-and-stripes panhead chopper was designed and built by two African-American bike builders, Cliff Vaughs and Ben Hardy, based on design suggestions from Fonda.
There were two "Captain America" bikes built for "Easy Rider," so that shooting would not be disrupted if one of them broke down. The bike being sold was used in the crash scene at the end of the film.
It will be sold as part of a sale of Hollywood memorabilia from October 17-20 at Profiles in History's auction rooms in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles. Bids will also be taken online and by phone, as well as in person.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014
