What the heck is going on here?
Steve McQueen’s 1970 Porsche 917 — famous for its cameo in Le Mans and quite possibly the most recognizable race car in the entire history of film — went up for auction in 2014. Apparently, no one met the reserve (it was expected to sell for between $14 and $16 million), because now the car is set to cross the block once again.
Considering the ungodly sums that have been spent on similarly iconic vehicles, this news is, in a word, bananas.
OK, so Steve himself might not have actually driven it, but that makes it no less a piece of automotive history. It was a test car in the 1970 Le Mans (the race) before switching hands to a Porsche driver by the name of Jo Siffert. The very next year, Siffert lent it to the film.
She’s well-restored and coming to Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction this August. Despite failing to sell three years ago, the 917 is still slated to go somewhere in the $15m range.
So get the F-you money ready. This orphan needs a good home.
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