Thirty years after his death, Steve McQueen’s name still reverberates within the auto industry. The man known as the “King of Cool” was not only one of his generation's biggest movie stars, but also made a name for himself for his love of cars, racing, and a combination of the two.
Speaking of cars, McQueen owned a pretty amazing collection of cars back in the day, one of which is this 1970 Porsche 911->ke282 that's headed for the auction block at RM Auctions in Monterey, California this coming August.
According to RM, the car, all 40 years old of it, still "remains in exceptionally original condition". While some people will be skeptical of buying an old Porsche that undoubtedly has had its fair share of work done to it, those who prefer to see the glass as half-full will point out that this particular 911 still stands as one of the most iconic 911 models in history.
Even if it's gone through a number of owners after the original, you still can't deny that this particular model's first owner is no other than the "King of Cool" himself, Steve McQueen.
UPDATE 08/22/2011: Steve McQueen's slate gray Porsche 911S ended up selling for a lavish $1,375,000 at RM Auctions this past weekend.
Details on Steve McQueen's Porsche 911 after the jump.
1970 Porsche 911S owned by Steve McQueen
- Make: Array
- Model: 1970 Porsche 911S owned by Steve McQueen
- Horsepower: 123
- Torque: 130
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Exterior and Interior
Over the years, Steve McQueen’s Porsche 911 S has undergone a few restorations - and a few owners - but to this day, it still remains in good condition and the overall look pretty much hasn’t changed since it was first bought in 70’s. A number of the items that are still present in the car today include the air conditioning, the Blaupunkt AM/FM radio, the leather upholstery, the tinted windows, electric sunroof, the aluminum wheel trim rings, and those unmistakable Porsche headlights.
Performance
The 1970 Porsche 911 came with a 2.2-liter engine that produced an output of 123 brake horsepower and 130 lb/ft of torque mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. These numbers translate to a 0-62 mph (0-100 kmh) of 10 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph, which for a car that was built in 1970, was a rocket on wheels.
Pricing
As an auction piece, the price for this car can vary from five digits all the way up to seven digits depending on how much a bidder would pay to go home with the car. As one of the most memorable Porsche 911s in history, this car is probably one of the few iconic Porsches to still be hitting the streets these days. If you’re willing to bid on it, prepare to shell out some pretty serious dough. And just as a reference, back in 2007, another one of Steve McQueen’s former rides, a 1963 Ferrari 250, sold for $2.3 million. Yikes.
What's So Significant About This Car?
Most of today's young generation probably has no idea who Steve McQueen was. And to be fair, up until a few years ago, I had no clue who he was too. But even if we're not from his generation, we always hear stories about his movies and how he became the highest-paid movie star of his time. But more than his accomplishments, McQueen was also an avid racer and his love for cars translated to one of the most amazing collections of that time, including, might we add, this 1970 Porsche 911.
And just to give interested buyers even more reason to bid on this car, we invite you to check out the first couple of minutes of the movie "Le Mans", starring McQueen himself. That Porsche 911 he's driving is the very same one that's headed to RM Auctions.