Snapshot, 1964: For me, it’s raining motocross trophies

In September 1964, Steve McQueen travelled to Erfurt for the Motocross World Championship and to take part in the ‘International Six Days Trial’. But the Hollywood star seems rather unhappy with the damp East German weather. Is the ‘King of Cool’ asking for assistance from above?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Hollywood icon, one thing you can’t control is the weather. Even a realist like McQueen must look to the heavens for dry weather. We know from first-hand accounts that for the first two days of the Erfurt trial, it rained heavily. Although more used to dry, desert conditions, the rain didn’t seem to affect McQueen’s team of fellow American riders Cliff Coleman, Bud Ekins and brother Dave Ekins too much, for they were leading their class at the end of the second day. Sadly and quite ironically, the team was eliminated on the third day following a spate of crashes and mechanical failures, once the rain had stopped. Coleman and Dave Ekins continued to ride for an individual Gold Medal however, which they both achieved.

Photo: Francois Gragnon/Paris Match via Getty Images