By the end of the 1950s, his income was sufficient to buy his first new car: a black Porsche 356 A Speedster. Like his fellow actor James Dean, McQueen felt drawn to the young brand out of Stuttgart. The Speedster and its 75 hp engine combined day-to-day usability with the qualities of a club racer.
Towards the end of 1958, McQueen purchased the black on black Speedster from Porsche main dealer, Century Motor Sales in Alhambra, California. It was his first brand new car.
But, while car super-stardom isn't hard to come by, Steve McQueen's Porsche 917K from 1971's Le Mans is that rarest of beasts: a movie icon and a genuinely powerful racer.
Steve McQueen's first race car was a Porsche Speedster 1600 Super, but he traded that in, and up for a 1959 Lotus XI. That wasn't just idle talk either, because he had several great finishes in the car. McQueen noted, “In that Lotus, I really started to become competitive.
By testimony of McQueen's son, Chad, Steve owned around 100 classic motorcycles, as well as around 100 exotics and vintage cars, including: Porsche 917, Porsche 908, and Ferrari 512 race cars from the Le Mans film. Porsche 911S (used in the opening sequence of the Le Mans film)
Steve McQueen's Last Special Order Porsche - Mecum Auctions
What was Steve McQueen's Favourite car?
McQueen was an avid fan of European sports cars. Ferraris, Porsches and Lotus models were never far away from his garage. Even by his standards, though, this 275 GTB/4 was special.
If that's what he'd wanted, he could have just as easily bought an Aston Martin V8 Vantage in 1977. The fact that he spent the same money on a Porsche 911 Turbo->ke571 probably means something. All things considered, it's probably a safe bet that the GT3 RS would occupy Porsche's slot in the modern McQueen garage.
After filming, the Mustang was sold to a Warner Brothers employee, and later to a New Jersey police detective. He in turn sold it for $6,000 in 1974 to Robert Kiernan of Madison, New Jersey, who held onto the car until he died in 2014.
A dull green 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in the movie “Bullitt” just became the most valuable Ford Mustang ever sold at auction. It went for $3.7 million, including auction fees, at the annual Mecum collector car auction in Kissimmee, Florida.
Apparently, the animators at Pixar drew influences from many sources to create McQueen's final design. However, the two major car models he is based on are – the Chevrolet Corvette C1 (produced between 1953-1962) and the Chevrolet Corvette C6 (produced between 2004-2013).
Time magazine featured a cover story about the car, and Motor Trend named the Corvair as the 1960 “Car of the Year.” Americans bought them due to their unique style, and affordable price, well under $3,000. They even earned the nickname, “The Poor Man's Porsche.”
McQueen didn't actually race in the real Le Mans as he had hoped — the film company's insurers put paid to that idea — but he did drive the 917 on screen and in stunt sequences. Not this exact one, though — McQueen actually drives the No. 21 Porsche in the film, while the No.
He is not based on any particular type of vehicle, but seems to most closely resemble a C6 Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper. His body is painted red with yellow and orange lightning bolt stickers featuring his racing number on his sides.
Steve McQueen, a.k.a. the King of Cool, wore a Rolex Submariner 5512. While it's pretty hard to compete with the man who starred in The Great Escape (1963), Bullitt (1968), and Le Mans (1971), the vintage Submariner 5512 boasts its own swagger too.
McQueen had previously owned the convertible version of the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 – officially known as the N.A.R.T Spider – but after an accident befell the soft-top grand tourer, he purchased this red V12-powered coupe from Chic Vandagriff at Hollywood Sport Cars.
And for decades, Jobs got a new car every six months. These weren't different cars, either. For years, he replaced his black Porsche 911 with another black Porsche 911. He eventually moved to Mercedes-Benz SL55s.
Its owner is Nashville-based Sean Kiernan. “For 40 years,” he says, “it was a total secret.” Kiernan's father, who had been chasing a Mustang with the 390-cubic-inch “big block” engine, found one for sale in the classified section of Road & Track magazine.
McQueen's son, Chad, sold the house for $7.2 million in July 2020, records show. The current sellers purchased the property two months later for $8.35 million and have made significant renovations.
How much did Pawn Stars sell Steve McQueen's car for?
The car is also featured in the 2007 book "McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon" by Matt Stone. In addition to its link to Steve McQueen, this 1951 Chevrolet was also featured in two episodes of the TV series "Pawn Stars." Purchased for almost $40,000, it was then sold for $84,000 in 2013.
How much did the original Bullitt Mustang sell for?
The 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in the legendary chase scene in the movie “Bullitt” sold on Friday for $3.74 million. “It's a record auction price for any Mustang ever sold,” said Dana Mecum, the principal of the auction house, Mecum Auctions, that sold the car.
The car was sold at the Mecum Auctions in Kissimmee, Florida. The car has belonged to the Kiernan family since the early 1970s when the car was purchased by Robert Kiernan of Madison, New Jersey for just $6,000. Steve McQueen reportedly tried to buy it back from him, but Kiernan refused to sell it back.
About 40 years ago, a certain Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT exchanged hands for $3500. That same car, the one that was actually driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt, just became the most valuable Mustang ever after it was auctioned off for a cool $3.4 million.
