Porsche lore is filled with phenomenal personalities. James Dean, Steve McQueen, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve McQueen, Steve McQueen…. OK, so I have a fixation on Steve McQueen. In an era that included Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Charles Bronson, et al, McQueen was the “King of Cool”. That’s some pretty heavy company to be king of. Part of it was the motorcycles, some of it was the ever-present Persol shades, there was his distanced yet personable persona, of course there was Allie McGraw. But for us, a good portion of it came from his more-often-than-not choice of automobile: Porsche. Shooting a movie just so you can drive 917s is good enough for me.
That’s why it’s important when bits of McQueen memorabilia come on the market. This week it’s McQueen’s personal 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo. It’s outfitted as only a King of Cool would have it: slate gray, sunroof, dual mirrors, sports seats and larger wheels. It’s the last Porsche McQueen bought. He kept it until 1978. He passed away in 1980 at age 50.
The car has 150,000+ miles on it. One wonders how many times its current owner told the Steve McQueen story.
One can only speculate how much a storied car like this will go for when it’s auctioned in Monterey by Mecum later this summer. But a portion of the proceeds will go to The Boys Republic, a Chino Hills, California based charity dedicated to treating troubled youngsters. A previous McQueen-owned Porsche 911 – his 1966 911 — sold for over $1,300,000 in 2011.
Just keep in mind that if you are the lucky buyer, the Persols are extra.