"The Girl on a Motorcycle", the 1968 film starring Alain Delon and Marianne Faithfull, has it's initial release on DVD.
I'm not reviewing the film or talking about Marianne Faithfull or the Harley she's 'riding'. No, I want to tell you a little about Anke-Eve Goldmann. If you don't already know of her you should.
Goldman was a close friend of the French author André Pieyre de Mandiargues and the inspiration for the main character, 'Rebecca', in his 1963 book "The Motorcycle" (The book was adapted for the film "The Girl on a Motorcycle" starring Marianne Faithfull as Rebecca).
Anke wrote for numerous international motorcycle magazines and was a frequent contributor to Cycle World, Das Motorrad in Germany and the French magazine Moto Revue.
Anke wrote for numerous international motorcycle magazines and was a frequent contributor to Cycle World, Das Motorrad in Germany and the French magazine Moto Revue.
She rode BMW's and actually became a spokesperson for the marque until the need for speed made her buy an MV Agusta.
Anke-Eve Goldmann, is best remembered in Europe today for the early 1960's images of her astride a BMW in that self-designed leather catsuit. What an image, all that leather hugging her 6'6" frame. It wasn't just for looks though, Anke could ride and ride she did. In the 1950's Goldmann competed in both endurance and circuit racing, at Germany's Hockenheimring and Nurburgring but, being a woman she was barred from higher level races. Knowing it was a bullshit rule Goldmann continued to ride and race, albeit at the 'girls' level. A fiercely independent woman, she was willing to bear the scorn of the post-war German tongues, wagging at the scandal of a girl merely being herself; enjoying motorcycles, racing with the boys.
In 1958, she helped found the Women's International Motorcycle Association in Europe.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
