Fonzie's bike for a cool £100,000: Customised Triumph that helped make character the king of cool up for auction alongside one of his leather jackets 

  • Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, became the star of the show Happy Days
  • He was given a 'cool' customised Triumph to ride by the producers
  • It was the model ridden by Marlon Brando in the 1953 film The Wild One  
  • It's being sold by Profiles in History in California, with his jacket worth £30k

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 19:15 EST, 27 September 2015 | Updated: 04:21 EST, 28 September 2015

The motorbike that helped establish TV character The Fonz as the king of cool is expected to fetch £100,000 at auction.

Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, became the star of the American show Happy Days despite starting out as a minor character. 

He was usually surrounded by a harem of girls and often dished out advice on women to hapless friends Ritchie, Ralph and Potsie.

The motorbike that helped establish TV character The Fonz as the king of cool is expected to fetch £100,000 at auction

The motorbike that helped establish TV character The Fonz as the king of cool is expected to fetch £100,000 at auction

He was given a Harley Davidson to ride at first but the producers then looked for a 'cooler' bike and plumped for the customised Triumph. 

It was the model ridden by Marlon Brando's character Johnny Strabler in the 1953 film The Wild One.

However, it is said that Winkler couldn't handle the Triumph and would be pushed in and out of shots during the sitcom, which ran from 1974 to 1984. 

The bike was provided by Bud Ekins, the stuntman who was Steve McQueen's double in The Great Escape and made the famous motorcycle jump over a barbed wire fence.

It is being sold by Profiles in History in California, which is also auctioning a Fonz leather jacket that has an estimate of £30,000.

It was the model ridden by Marlon Brando's character Johnny Strabler in the 1953 film The Wild One

It was the model ridden by Marlon Brando's character Johnny Strabler in the 1953 film The Wild One

Trademark pose: Henry Winkler as The Fonz from the TV series Happy Days in 1974

Trademark pose: Henry Winkler as The Fonz from the TV series Happy Days in 1974

A spokesman for Profiles in History, which is selling the items, said: 'This is the motorcycle that helped make Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as The Fonz, the icon of cool that he was - the 1949 Triumph Trophy 500 Custom.

'Originally a bit player, Fonzie became the breakout star of Happy Days.

'This '49 Triumph is one of three Triumph motorcycles The Fonz used during the show's 10-year run on ABC.

'It is often rumoured that Henry Winkler was frequently pushed on the bike by stage-hands, confirmed by his own admissions due to his inability to ride a motorcycle.

It is being sold by Profiles in History in California, which is also auctioning a Fonz leather jacket that has an estimate of £30,000

It is being sold by Profiles in History in California, which is also auctioning a Fonz leather jacket that has an estimate of £30,000

'The cool factor of this Triumph is impossible to quantify or duplicate.

'The jacket was a studio used production jacket and was most likely used in various stunt scenes.

'When the show was cancelled, one of Fonzie's signature brown leather jackets was gifted to The Smithsonian Institution.

'This is important piece of television history.'

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