HUSQVARNA 400 CROSS
This 400 Cross won the World 500 cc Championships in 1966 and 1970 ridden by Bengt Aberg. Precise and with incredible power, it proved to be a formidable weapon in motocross at that time. Besides Bengt Aberg and many other riders, one famous bike enthusiast contributed to the immense popularity of the make and of this model: American actor Steve McQueen. McQueen wasn’t only a bike enthusiast and fan – he also competed successfully in bike and car races. Among other things, he was in the line-up for the Six Days International in 1964. The photo featured on the cover of the 23rd August 1971 issue of American magazine ‘Sports Illustrated’, showing a topless Steve McQueen mid-jump on his Husqvarna Cross 400, remains unforgettable. The McQueen / Husqvarna pairing was to inspire a whole generation with a great love of freedom and enthusiasts for ‘Dirt’ – and the Husqvarna Cross 400 would become the historic model emblematic of the make. For this project, we started off from the base of a WR from January 1974, which we have reassembled using original parts garnered from all over Europe and the US. At that time, the price of this model in the US was $ 1,385 (€ 1,648) – today they are fetching around € 15,000 (sources: www.earlyyearsofmx.com)
This Husqvarna 400 will form the centre-piece for an informed collector, an Off Road enthusiast – or a fan of Steve McQueen. |
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