Bruce Springsteen’s Rare ‘Born to Run’ Moto Jacket Is Back in Production

Schott NYC created a collection of jackets inspired by The Boss.

Black leather jacket with silver zipper and snap button details, showing a folded collar.

Published 2 hours ago

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Anyone who’s seen him perform knows that Bruce Springsteen is a master at improvisation.

One of his most iconic album covers, the 1975 rock epic Born to Run, was also completely uncoreographed. It was shot on the fly in June of that year, as he and The E Street Band were wrapping up production on the record that would change their lives.

Black and white close-up of a person with curly hair and a beard wearing a leather jacket with star studs, looking down. — An outtake from the *Born to Run* photoshoot shows the double stars on the epaulets.

Bruce had a grand vision for the cover of his ambitious third album when he and saxophonist Clarence Clemons arrived at photographer Eric Meola’s Manhattan studio. But the exhausted musicians, burnt out from months of all-night recording sessions, deferred to Meola’s candid approach.

In a 2011 blog post detailing the shoot, Meola reveals, “Bruce had prepared for the shoot, and brought along his ripped T-shirt and various props and talismans.” The photographer goes on to reveal that the black leather jacket Springsteen wears on the cover was given to him by his former manager and producer, Mike Appel.

Black-and-white photo of a man playing saxophone wearing a wide-brim hat and another man with curly hair playing electric guitar in a leather jacket. — Photographer Eric Meola only captured two images of the moment when Bruce glanced adoringly at his friend.

With the help of a box to compensate for the seven inches Clemons had on Springsteen, Meola captured a charismatic moment when the singer-songwriter glanced adoringly at his friend, whom he considered to be the soul of his band.

It ended up becoming the album cover, with “The Boss” on the front and “The Big Man” on the back. Everything about the album and its cover, including the gifted leather jacket, became iconic.

Double the star power

One key detail exposes the make of Springsteen’s lovingly worn black leather motorcycle jacket. The two stars on each epaulet indicate a rare Schott Double Rider Perfecto model called the Two Star.

Man wearing a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt and blue jeans sitting on a wooden bench. — Schott recreated the Two Star Perfecto worn by Springsteen on the cover of Born to Run.

Schott collaborated with the production of the new Springsteen biopic, Deliver Me from Nowhere, to recreate five of the musician’s most iconic leather jackets. The partnership is a natural fit because, while Schott maintains its ties to the company’s hometown of New York City, it is now headquartered in New Jersey.

This includes the Two Star Double Rider Perfecto, which debuted in the 1950s but has only been produced in a handful of small batches since. It is similar to the fan-favorite One Star version, which has been in regular production for decades.

Close-up of black leather jacket shoulder with two silver star-shaped studs. — The Born to Ride Perfecto has two stars on each epaulet.

The Two Star reproduction for the movie collection is dubbed the Born to Ride Perfecto, and it is a faithful reproduction of the jacket worn on the cover of Springsteen’s breakout album.

A cropped fit

Fans of Schott’s Double Rider Perfecto leather motorcycle jackets will notice some nuances that stand out on the Born to Ride Perfecto. It is a slim fit, like the one that hugs Springsteen’s gaunt figure on the album cover.

Black leather biker jacket with zipper and belt worn by a person sitting on a wooden bench. — The Born to Ride Perfecto has a slim fit, a cropped body and vented shoulders.

The body is also cropped two inches shorter than a One Star Perfecto, measuring 24 inches tall in the back. This was a perfect fit for the notoriously short rock god, but may be a little uncomfortable for taller men.

Many Perfecto models have removable belts, or none at all, but the Born to Ride Perfecto has a fixed belt that starts at the side seams. There are loops to tuck the belt back when not in use.

The external pockets are enlarged compared to modern examples, with all three measuring seven inches wide. Each one also has a pull chain.

Close-up of black leather jacket with silver zipper, snap button pocket, and belt buckle. — The Born to Ride Perfecto is made with Veg Retanned Steerhide.

The Born to Ride Perfecto is made from vegetable-tanned steerhide and has a glossy finish. All the hardware, including the star epaulet studs, is solid nickel, and it is lined with jacquard-textured polyester satin.

Availability and price

If Springsteen’s manager hadn’t given him this particular rare Schott jacket and he hadn’t worn it to an unscripted photoshoot in the summer of 1975, it probably would have remained an obscure, out-of-production archival piece.

As fate would have it, Born to Run turned Springsteen into a superstar, and fifty years later, the Schott Two Star Double Rider Perfecto worn on the cover is back to promote Deliver Me from Nowhere, a film about the making of a subsequent Springsteen album.

Schott’s Deliver Me from Nowhere collection also includes a replica of the leather jacket worn on the cover of 1978’s Darkness on the Edge of Town and the one worn on the cover of Springsteen’s 2016 autobiography.

Black leather biker jacket with silver zippers worn over a white V-neck shirt and blue jeans.

Schott Born to Ride “Two Star” Perfecto

$1,195 at Schott NYC

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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