At 85, Ann-Margret still has a need for speed.
The “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Viva Las Vegas” legend is opening her personal archives to fans, partnering with Julien’s Auctions to sell cherished keepsakes, household items and glamorous Bob Mackie-designed costumes beginning June 23.
One of the sale’s crown jewels is her custom 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Hugger, adorned with a mauve-and-daisy design and ridden by the star for more than 20 years.
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When asked by Fox News Digital what riding means to her, the actress, without missing a beat, declared, “Freedom, freedom, freedom!”
Ann-Margret noted that she loves the “speed” and still happily rides today.
“Back in Sweden, my uncle, my mother’s brother, he had a big motorcycle,” she said. “I watched him, and, of course, I asked him if I could ride with him. And I did. And that was it. I had to have one of my own.”
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With zero hesitation, Ann-Margret replied, “nope” when asked whether she was ever scared.
“Isn’t that something?” she said. “I never have been. I love the speed. I try not to go too fast, although I do love the speed. I’m joyful when I get on that bike. I don’t get scared. That’s the problem!”
A devoted motorcycle enthusiast since the 1960s, Ann-Margret has spent decades chasing adventure on two wheels, both on set and off. In one of her most iconic images, photographer Douglas Kirkland captured the star in 1971 racing down a Las Vegas highway on a chopper, dressed in a patriotic showgirl ensemble and knee-high boots.
And if the star gets any second glances from no-nonsense bikers, she doesn’t seem to notice.
“I’m so busy making sure that I ride my bike correctly, I don’t notice things like that,” she quipped.
That independent streak extends well beyond the open road. At her house, guests can expect to find a sign that reads, “You can tell a Swede, but you can’t tell her much,” which was put up by her late husband, Roger Smith.
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“It’s true,” she laughed. “I’m a rebel. And I’m happy. I’m happy with my life. I had 54 great years with Roger. I’m a happy person. And I enjoy my work. It’s not work to me. I’m so deeply appreciative of my fans. I do understand that they understand me. I’m serious about being an entertainer, but again, it’s not work to me. It’s joy.”
Ann-Margret has never been one to play by the rules. One item up for auction is an ivory and orange gown with a low V-neck that she wore in 1963 when she appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” She wore the same ensemble to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1963 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, following in Marilyn Monroe’s footsteps.
“It’s such a magnificent dress,” she said. “And I had the audacity to sing ‘Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home’ [to the president]. I was very, very young. And that audacity? Yeah, I had a good time.”
The memory of performing for Kennedy remains tied to another milestone from that chapter of her life. Ann-Margret described casting her first ballot for Kennedy as one of the many thrills of her life.
“I was very excited about voting,” she said. “It will always be a special moment for me. And I love my guys and girls [from the USO]. I surely remember all the trips that I made. They all still mean the world to me.”
Many of Ann-Margret’s Bob Mackie dresses at the auction helped solidify her status as a Hollywood sex symbol, a title she has no qualms about.
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“Well, if men think I am sexy, then that’s fine,” she beamed. “That’s fine with me.”
There’s no denying that Ann-Margret has remained young at heart over the years. Another item up for auction is a signed 1979 book penned by Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Arnold’s Bodyshaping for Women.” The two starred in the 1979 comedy “The Villain.”
“The one thing that I can’t really keep [up with Arnold] really is having dinner by seven o’clock,” she said. “But he’s amazing. The proof is in the pudding with him. He practices what he preaches.”
Like Schwarzenegger, Ann-Margret credits discipline and longevity for helping sustain a decades-long career. She said she remains amazed by the enduring support of her fans, admitting she is “humbled by it all.”
“I had been working nonstop all through those years, and here I am,” she said. “I still get very nervous before I do something. But it’s excitement. I’m much better about nerves today than I was when I was 18. And I was thriving. I guess I have [also] been very good at hiding it. Once I start singing and dancing, I am so into it that I just feel confident.”
And Ann-Margret has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
“Even when I was 4 or 5 years old, I was constantly moving,” she said. “I was always moving. I moved a lot, and I keep on moving. I’m a happy person, especially when I move.”
That outlook has fueled her for decades. Ann-Margret previously told Fox News Digital that it’s no secret her love for Harley-Davidsons has kept her feeling forever young.
“When I was 10 years old, I would ride on the back of [my uncle’s] bike with him,” she recalled at the time. “He would take me to the Norwegian border, and we would go into Norway. There’s no way I could forget that motorcycle.
“I’ve got a lot of energy,” she reflected. “It doesn’t come in a bottle. I am just blessed that my mother and father gave me such great energy. And there’s no negativity here. They instilled in me all of these wonderful things that I still carry with me. You don’t whine about things. You just go out and do the things that you love. And I just feel blessed with the life that I’ve been given.”
