Meet the neighbours The McQueen showhome and cinemas most famous motorcycle
There was a special guest outside Bloor Homes’ ‘The McQueen’ showhome at Hollycroft Grange in Hinckley this week - the original Triumph TR6 Trophy motorcycle from the iconic 1963 film The Great Escape.
On the eve of what would have been Hollywood legend Steve McQueen's 96th birthday, the team at Hollycroft Grange and Triumph Motorcycles, who are next door neighbours, got together to celebrate McQueen’s birthday with a nod to the showhome.
The original 1961 Triumph TR6 Trophy - the very machine ridden by Steve McQueen in The Great Escape took centre stage at Hollycroft Grange, courtesy of renowned Triumph collector Dick Shepherd.
‘The McQueen' three-bedroom showhome is one of three showhomes at the new development, all showcasing the two, three and four bedroom energy-efficient homes coming to Hinckley.
Samantha Watkins, Sales Director for Bloor Homes’ East Midlands region, said: “It was a bit of fun to mark Steve McQueen’s birthday by bringing the famous motorbike from The Great Escape to the showhome of the same name for the afternoon.
“We’re inviting people to come and see the McQueen showhome and our other Verwood and Lydgate four bedroom showhome so they can see for themselves the quality and style of the new homes we’re bringing to the local area, and the plans for the development, which is a whole new community for Hinckley directly opposite the famous Triumph Motorcycles premises.”
The 649cc motorcycle, disguised as a German Wehrmacht bike for filming, featured in one of cinema's most thrilling sequences. While McQueen performed the majority of his own riding, the legendary fence jump was completed by his close friend and stunt rider Bud Ekins.
After filming, the bike was lost for years before being rediscovered by Dick Shepherd, who painstakingly restored it to its original 1962 filming specification, retaining 95% of its original parts.
Dick Shepherd, Triumph collector and previous custodian of the Great Escape motorcycle said: “This is a very unusual appearance for the motorcycle, but a worthwhile one, and a real pleasure to meet the team at Hollycroft Grange.”
Steve McQueen’s birthday (24th March 1930) was also marked by Triumph Motorcycles at a ‘birthday event’ at the Factory Visitor Experience on 24/03/2026 featuring rare Steve McQueen footage and photographs, presented by Mr Shepherd.
The timing also carries a remarkable historical footnote: the real-life prisoners of war escape depicted in The Great Escape actually took place 82 years ago on the night of 24th March 1944, McQueen's own 14th birthday. Of the 76 Allied airmen who broke out through the tunnel codenamed 'Harry', only three successfully reached safety.
To find out more about The McQueen three bedroom showhome or The Verwood and The Lydgate four bedroom showhomes at Hollycroft Grange, and to register to receive priority marketing information about the new homes as they are released, visit bloorhomes.com