Steve McQueen was a motorcycle enthusiast, and stipulating that his character Virgil Hilts makes his escape in the movie "The Great Escape" on a motorcycle, sealed his "legend" status for all time. The movie was released in 1963 and enthusiastic audiences came to see what was acclaimed to be one of the best War movies ever made.
In 1960 the TR6 Trophy Triumph was introduced, it was really a Bonneville redesigned, but with only a single carb and cylinder head modifications. None the less it dominated in major classic American events such as Catalina Grand Prix, Jack Pike Enduro and the Big Bear Run four years consecutively. The electrics of this period of Triumphs were subject to failure, and Lucas that supplied the components were dubbed the "Prince of Darkness". The motorcycle used in the movie was in fact a 1961 Triumph TR6 Trophy Bird, made up to look like a wartime BMW, in this all time classic film.
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