'Easy Rider' chopper sold for $1.35m

Los Angeles, California - The iconic Harley-Davidson chopper-style motorbike ridden by Peter Fonda in the classic 1969 film “Easy Rider” was sold for $1.35 million (R14.85 million) at auction at the weekend.

Spokeswoman Sabrina Propper said the “Captain America” bike, complete with authenticating documents including a letter from Fonda, was sold late on Saturday at entertainment industry auction house Profiles in 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.

Seller Mike Eisenberg said: “After fierce bidding, we are so pleased that the buyer values this for the cultural icon that it is.”

ICONIC IMAGE

There were two “Captain America” bikes built for “Easy Rider,” so shooting would not be disrupted if one of them broke down. The bike sold on Saturday was used in the crash scene at the end of the film.

It was sold as part of a sale of Hollywood memorabilia at Profiles in History's auction rooms in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles. Bids were taken online and by phone, as well as in person.

Auctioneer Joseph Maddalena described the chopper before the sale as “one of the most iconic images in American film”.

“The bike evokes powerful emotions even in non-bikers,” he added. “It personifies the 60s, all of the good and the bad that decade brought.”

AFP

• End of the (not always easy) ride for Dennis Hopper