Anke-Eve Goldmann, often known just as AEG, was born in Berlin in 1929. She first started riding motorcycles in 1953 on a BMW R67/3,
She traded it in for BMW R69 in 1955. AEG was an imposing figure at over 6ft (2 metres) tall, wearing a custom black leather one-piece suit made by Harro for racing in enduro and on circuits. Shamefully, the male-oriented racing organisations of the time barred her from higher competition.
As well as racing, Anke-Eve wrote regularly for Moto Nytt in Sweden, Motorrad in Germany, Moto Revue in France, Motociclismo in Spain, Auto-Moto in Hungary, and even Japanese magazines.
In 1958, she helped found the Women’s International Motorcycle Association in Europe.
Goldmann was a friend of author André Pieyre de Mandiargues and the likely inspiration for the main character, ‘Rebecca’, in his most popular book The Motorcycle (1963). The book was adapted for the 1968 film The Girl on a Motorcycle starring Marianne Faithfull. AEG was unhappy about the reference, having already endured much predjudice and objectification because of her gender and looks, when all she wanted to do was ride motorcycles.
It was the end of an era for AEG when BMW introduced the R75/5 in 1970. She bought an early example, but thought it ugly, calling it a ‘Hyena’, and felt it was no competition for other sporting motorcycles on the market, like the Honda CB750 and Norton Commando. In late 1970 she purchased an MV Agusta 750 Sport.
In 1973, Goldmann commissioned a fully race-tuned MV 750 Super Sports with an overbored engine, larger carbs, and open megaphones, that produced over 100hp, though she never raced it.
AEG gave up motorcycling after the death of a close friend on his MV Agusta in the mid 70’s and disappeared from public view.
Anke-Eve Goldmann was a pioneer of women in love with speed, and a feminist hero, working for the recognition of women in her chosen domain of motorcycling. In her youth she faced jeers for her riding and racing, was called unpleasant names by the public and kicked out of her home, but carried on regardless, ultimately changing how people think about women on wheels.
