Beschreibung:

Sam Pierce, or 'Mr. Indian' as he was famously known, met Steve McQueen in 1963 or 1964 while running the American Indian Parts Company in San Gabriel, California. Steve telephoned one day looking for a front wheel brake for a 1923/24 Indian Chief. Sam found a workable part, and so began their friendship. In the years following, Sam and Steve often crossed paths at motorcycle meets where they would invariably fall into conversations about Indians and how they could be made to run better. Over time Steve's collection grew to incorporate Indians dating from 1902 to 1953. However, as the collection grew so did its need for maintenance and restoration. In the late 1960s Sam Pierce started helping Steve purchase Indians and the occasional Harley-Davidson, including both partial and complete machines. In 1979 Steve convinced Sammy to move from Fresno to Oxnard to work at his shop the 'Iron Horse Coral' where he stored his motorcycle collection. Sammy sorted through Steve's gas pumps, juke boxes and ice boxes and organized them while generally maintaining Steve's shop and restoring his motorcycles; often Sam had many projects going at the same time. Over many years working together Sam and Steve became good friends, drawn together by their common interest in motorcycles and all things mechanical and by their rye wit and temperament. Sam worked for Steve until his death in 1980 and continued to be dedicated to his work at the 'Iron Horse Coral' until his own passing in 1982. It is with great honor to present the Sam Pierce Collection of Steve McQueen Memorabilia for sale here today as a testament to the friendship between a rider and his mechanic, and all it is that they accomplished together. An original photograph from "Tom Horn" 11 x 14in