Easy Rider, meet Big Spender: The tricked-out, Captain America Harley-Davidson driven byPeter Fonda in that 1969 film is headed to the auction block on October 18th, and its expectedto secure a hefty price tag. According toThe Associated Press, auction house Profiles in History estimates that the iconic American flag chopper will bring between $1 million and $1.2 million at the sale, which will beheld online and at their galleries inCalabasas, California.
The bikes seller is California businessman Michael Eisenberg, who previouslyco-owned an L.A.-based, motorcycle-themed restaurant with Fonda andEasy Riderco-star/director Dennis Hopper. Eisenberg acquired the chopper in 2013 fromGrizzly Adamsstar Dan Haggerty, who was responsible for maintaining the custom Harleyduring filming for the classic counterculture road flick.
10 Best Movie Drug TripsSee 13 Rare Images From New Jim Marshall Book, 'Show Me the Picture'Fleetwood Mac's 50 Greatest Songs
Easy Riderstars Fonda and Hopper as two drug-smuggling hippies on a psychedelic and, ultimately, tragic cross-country trek to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Fondas panhead chopper, which comes with three letters of authenticity (one signed by the actor himself), features forward-angled front wheel and handlebars, fishtail exhaust pipes and a teardrop-shaped gas tank.
While four bikes were created for the film, Haggerty toldThe Associated Pressthat theother three were stolen even before the movie was released, demonstrating the cultural significance of Easy Rider itself.This particular Harley could be the most significant: It was used during the movies literally explosive crash scene climax which finds Fondas character, Wyatt, flying off to his death after being shot at during a drive-by confrontation in Florida.
Eisenberg might rope in a nice chunk of change for his milestone memorabilia, but he also plans to donate a significant amount to the American Humane Association in Fondas honor.