‘The greatest sports car of its generation’ up for auction: 1970 Porsche 917K driven by Steve McQueen in the film ‘Le Mans’ set to fetch $18.5M when sold by Sotheby’s in August
- Car collectors will bid for vehicle made famous in the 1971 film ‘Le Mans’
- Iconic 1970 Porsche 917K crossed the finish line in McQueen’s classic racing film
- Footage of the car’s race at the in 1970 Le Mans 24 Hour was used in the movie
- The car has been fully restored to its former glory ahead of next month’s auction
- Another McQueen ‘Le Mans’ Porsche sold for $14 million in 2017
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The 1970 Porsche 917K driven by Steve McQueen in the classic film ‘Le Mans’ will be put up for auction next month – and could fetch more than $18million.
Expected to become the most expensive Porsche sold, it is one of racing’s most illustrious cars having competed in the grueling race and featured with McQueen in the movie.
McQueen drove it while crossing the finish line.
The 1970 Porsche 917K that crossed the finish line in Steve McQueen’s ‘Le Mans’ is set to fetch more than $18 million at auction next month
McQueen, seen above, used several Porsches during the classic 1971 film
After being damaged in a crash and remodeled as a 917 Spyder, the car has been restored to its former glory ahead of auction
If sold for $18.5 million, the car would be the most expensive Porsche ever sold, beating out another McQueen ‘Le Mans’ Porsche that sold for $14 million in 2017
The sports car represents the culmination of Porsche’s engineering at the time as the company sought to take its first victory at the 1970 race, according to the auction’s site.
The 917 was one of Porsche’s most successful race cars, dominating European racing and the North American Can-Am Series, according to Motor Authority.
The car was driven by David Hobbs and Mike Hailwood, who were able to secure third place after the first four hours of the race until Hailwood refused a pit stop when heavy rain hit the course.
Hailwood eventually lost control of the vehicle during the 49th lap and slid into another car. The Porsche suffered only light damage, but it was enough to take it out of the race.
The sports car, however, took center stage in the film as it led McQueen to victory and immortalized the vehicle in the eyes of moviegoers.
Steve McQueen was only 50 when he died in 1980
McQueen died from a heart attack in 1980 in Juarez, Mexico.
After the race and film, the sports car was rebuilt into a 917 Spyder at the Porsche factory and was raced for years until it was eventually bought by Michael Amalfitano in 1987.
The Porsche collector from Florida restored the car to its classic form and raced it at Porsche’s 50th Anniversary races in 1998 and the Rennsport Reunion III at Daytona in 2007.
After Amalfitano’s death in 2009, the car was further restored and it’s Spyder bodywork accompanies it as a modification piece.
The car will be up for auction and on display from Aug. 13 to 14.
This is not the only McQueen ‘Le Mans’ car to be up for sale. Another Porsche was sold for $14 million at a California auction in 2017.
In early 2020, McQueen’s iconic 1968 Bullitt Mustang sold for $3.7 million at the Mecum Kissimmee 2020 auction, and stands as the second-most expensive Ford Mustang sold in the world.
The green Mustang made famous in the 1968 movie ‘Bullitt’ starring Steve McQueen sold for $3.7 million