Beverly Hills luxury car dealer Classbenz put an advertisement
on eBay Tuesday evening for the red-and-black 2000 Indian Chief,
asking that bids start at $2,000. Classbenz claims the motorcycle
currently belongs to the actor-turned-governor and that he has
autographed it.
Beverly Hills luxury car dealer Classbenz put an advertisement on eBay Tuesday evening for the red-and-black 2000 Indian Chief, asking that bids start at $2,000. Classbenz claims the motorcycle currently belongs to the actor-turned-governor and that he has autographed it.
“This bike was produced for Arnold during the opening of the now-defunct Gilroy, California, Indian Motorcycle plant, and helped ink the deal for the Indian to be featured in the Hollywood (movie) ‘Terminator 3,’ ” the ad states. The motorcycle has 1,850 miles, Classbenz claims.
Staff at the governor’s press office said they could not confirm by press time whether the motorcycle in question is Schwarzenegger’s, nor could they say whether he owns more than one bike. They did say he sold a motorcycle at an auction in Las Vegas held Feb. 5, 6 and 7.
Gilroy resident Rey Sotelo was Indian’s president and CEO at the time and remembered when the company gave Schwarzenegger a Chief, free of charge.
“It was kind of a promo deal we did,” Sotelo said.
Schwarzenegger came to Gilroy more than once to see the factory and pick up the bike, Sotelo said.
“I met with him three or four times,” Sotelo said. “He was a big motorcycle enthusiast. … Him, James Cameron, George Clooney, … Jay Leno, … those guys all ride together.”
Sotelo said he hadn’t known Schwarzenegger was selling the motorcycle and offered no comment on that development.
At the same time, Classbenz advertised a replica of a 1974 Pinzgauer military vehicle, which it claimed was previously owned by Schwarzenegger. The Austrian military, which Schwarzenegger served in as a young man, used such vehicles to transport weapons. This one was custom-made made by a Hollywood body shop and appeared in “Terminator 3,” Schwarzenegger’s most recent movie.
“Three Pinzgauers like this were used in the filming of ‘T3,’ and one was destroyed in filming,” the ad says.
Both the motorcycle and the Pinzgauer’s auctions last seven days and end tomorrow evening.
As of 8 a.m. Friday, 10 bidders had placed 21 bids on the custom motorcycle, the highest being $16,100. A new Indian Chief, with no customization, sells for about $20,000.
At the time of his inauguration, The Associated Press reported that the new governor owned a single red-and-black Indian and had commissioned two others specially for “Terminator 3.” A pair of Indians used in that movie – one of them wrecked in the filming – now belong to Michigan businessman Bill Melvin, who bought the company’s inventory in January.
Both Melvin and Sotelo are now trying to buy the trademarks and logos of Indian, which closed its doors Sept. 19. Both plan to make new Indian motorcycles: Sotelo in Gilroy and Melvin in whichever state would offer him the best combination of incentives and workforce.
