Evel Knievel's 'last' jump

The daredevil badly needed a comeback, says Leigh Montville, so he tried a stunt that was doomed to fail

On May 27, 1975, after a night of drinking with fans in London, daredevil Evil Knievel knew he couldn't make the 13-bus jump; amid 70,000 people, he tried anyway.
(Image credit: David Ashdown/Getty Images)

EVEL KNIEVEL ARRIVED in London on May 6, 1975, which gave him almost three weeks to promote his next big jump, at Wembley Stadium. After the Snake River disaster, this would be his triumphant return, and there was no need to hold back.

Knievel might have been unknown in Great Britain, but he was made for the British tabloid press. He spoke only in headlines, dressed only in his flamboyant outfits, carried his cane full of whiskey, drove around in the candy apple red customized Cadillac pickup truck.

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