Mcqueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon by Matt Stone

Mcqueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon Reviews

• 
  Scott

  "[The noted evangelist] Billy Graham once asked me what my religion was, and I told him 'It's the desert, the grass, the sun in the sky -- and my wheels!'" -- Steve McQueen, on page 68
  
  During his celebrated but sadly all-too-brief leading man film career, actor Steve McQueen - a.k.a 'King of Cool' - became figuratively attached at the hip with an assortment of motorized vehicles for chiefly two reasons: 1.) the man loved speed -- his favorite hobby away from his 'day job' was an assortment of racing disciplines (sports car, grand prix, off-road motorcycling and/or 4-wheel drive), and 2.) some indelible film scenes - which will live forever, thanks to the magic of movies - feature McQueen behind the wheel or handlebars. I know personally when I think of McQueen on screen my mind often defaults to the motorcycle chase through the Bavarian countryside in The Great Escape or the infamous Mustang / Charger pursuit down the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt. That McQueen confidently handled a good portion of his own stunt driving makes him that much cooler.
  
  McQueen's Machines is a nice little collection of photographs (the many full page color shots are outstanding) and text that is divided into four sections. It covers the diverse list of cars, trucks and motorcycles he owned in his private life; the vehicles he used in several of his best-known movies; and then various racing cars and/or motorcycles - each has its own chapter - from his racing days. Aside from the machinery there are handful of photos of McQueen with his first wife Neile Adams -- I've always thought they were an insanely attractive couple, and they always look so comfortable and thoroughly at ease with each other (the affection is evident) in early- and mid-60's era pictures.
• 
  John

  This is quite an interesting book. It mainly covers four different things, Steve McQueen's personal vehicles, his movie vehicles, his racing vehicles and his motorcycles. Because it covers so much it is not terribly in depth but the author does suggest an number of books that cover certain stories in more detail if one wanted more info. One bonus is the book has lots of great old photos of McQueen and his various machines.
• 
  Karin

  
  If you like to listen to music while reading reviews, the most appropriate one would be Sheryl Crow's "Steve McQeen" which Billboard says is her 4th best song--I hadn't heard about it until reading this book.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlywc...
  
  This book is really what the title says--all about his machines--it's not a biography (he gives a few suggestions) but of course bits of that come up, nor is it a play by play of his film career, but of course that comes up, etc. In fact, at one point he had to choose between auto racing and acting because the studio was worried he'd be in a serious and/or fatal accident which could jeopardize a film. Financially the choice was obvious since he had made it to the star level and he had a family, but as he gained clout he managed to be involved with car films that involved, and I know you're going to be shocked, racing or vehicle chase scenes.
  
  This book got 2 stars because I didn't realize just how MUCH this was about his actual machines, so I got bored. That said, it's not badly written and if you like machines, this may be for you. He collected cars, trucks, motorbikes and even airplanes, but there wasn't much on the flying part which, for me, was the most interesting of his machines.
  
  McQueen grew up abused and in poverty, spent time in a reform school, ended up in the Marine Corps and then ended up racing (amateur and semi-professional. The famous racer Andretti, who raced against him, basically says the same author's book
  Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman as saying that Newman was the better driver--the two were just in a different class and Newman became professional. But I personally won't read more about McQueen, because I am inclined to believe his first wife about his being a substance and wife abuser given his rough background and generation combined. He died of a rare lung cancer when he was 50 and that was back in 1980, so if you've never heard of him before I would hazard a guess that either you aren't familiar with American movies or else this was back before the earth cooled relative to your life.
  
• 
  William Dury

  Guy had some cool cars, didn’t he?
• 
  Dan Glover

  3.5 stars. Ok, time for honest admission. While I normally review works of Christian theology, spirituality or hermeneutics, with the occasional novel or children's book thrown in, I am a car guy. Since first seeing Bullit as a pre-teen, I've also been a fan of Steve McQueen...well, particularly his motoring tastes and how that usually makes its way into his movies. I always respected the fact that he was a true driver and that it wasn't just an on-screen persona.
  
  If you are a Steve McQueen fan, or have an interest in stars and their cars, or if you are just a car guy who appreciates knowing the histories of some of the most amazing cars of all time, this is a book you will enjoy. It's not literature and the book could have used a tad more editing prior to publication but no one purchasing this book is going to quibble about that - I didn't buy it for poetic turns of phrase. It is full of great pictures of McQueen, and more importantly of his cars (both with and without him). There are also shorter sections on his motorcycles as well as a brief section on his airplanes. The story of each of his significant cars (on and off screen) are included, along with any modifications or personalizations McQueen had done. You will see his Porsche 356 speedster, the famous Bullit Mustang, his Ferraris, and my personal favourite, his Jaguar XKSS, plus many, many more. The author does a good job of weaving together historical data, interviews with family, friends and previous/subsequent owners, and balancing the narrative between info on the particular cars (or bike/plane) and McQueen's experience with each one. A fun read.
• 
  Jess

  Steven McQueen was one hellofa guy; he loved, understood, and was good with engines. If you're looking for a biography, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a book on his cars, motorcycles, racing, stunt driving, collecting and so forth, this is your book.
  
  Nice intro by Chad McQueen whose input is felt throughout. Chad even let Stone drive some of Steve's cars including the '58 Porsche speedster and the '67 Ferrari NART spyder.
  
  Lots of fab pictures of cars (and McQueen) that remind you why you want to buy fast and pretty cars.
  
  
• 
  Jeff Bee

  Read on the Kindle app, which was new to me. Lots of techie information, and car and bike photos. Unfortunately, I could not zoom into the photos to get a better look, so I would recommend a hard-copy. This is not a book about the man, so much as it is a book about a man, his passion for vehicles and driving/racing them.
• 
  Joe Robertson

  Steve McQueen was great during his time. I can remember watching him weekly on "Wanted Dead or Alive." He was a man's man. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his cars and motorcycles. It brought back many memories.
• 
  Carol

  It's McQueen. It's gorgeous cars and motorcycles. What's not to love?
• 
  Joseph Anthony Pignatelli

  Great Book
• 
  Californiastevesmith Smith

  Steve McQueen's cars, just like him, epic.
• 
  Mark

  Nobody was cooler than Steve. Check out this great book.
• 
  Hunter Marston

  A very unique book for collectors, McQueen officianados, car and motorcycle enthusiasts alike. Fun reading and inspiring as a motorcycle owner and McQueen fan.
• 
  Mark Bunch

  The best auto collection book I have ever seen. Each and every vechicle he owned is cataloged.