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VINTAGE: McQueen Porsche Hits $1.375 Million At Monterey Auction
1970 911S driven by the actor in Le Mans sets a resounding sales record during RM's Friday collector-car auction.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted August 20, 2011   Monterey, CA
The 1970 Porsche 911S was driven by Steve McQueen through the French countryside in the opening sequences of the iconic racing film Le Mans. (Photo: RM Auctions)
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That Steve McQueen “King of Cool” magic has done it again.

The 1970 Porsche 911S that McQueen drove in the memorable opening sequences of the Hollywood film Le Mans sold for a remarkable $1,375,000 during RM Auctions’ Friday sale in Monterey, Calif., setting a world record for a 911 sold at auction.

Steve McQueen used the Porsche as his personal car during the filming of Le Mans then shipped it back to California. (Archive photo: RM Auctions)
The slate-gray 911S stars in the beginning of the iconic racing film as McQueen’s character, Porsche race-driver Michael Delaney, drives through the French countryside and arrives at the famous racetrack at Le Mans.

View the famous opening sequence of Le Mans at: McQueen Porsche.

As well as setting a Porsche auction record, the McQueen car sets the mark as the 200th auction sale by RM to exceed $1 million, with more expected as the Monterey sale continues this evening.

Collector cars and motorcycles that have been owned, driven or breathed on by the late actor and motorsports enthusiast have climbed to stratospheric heights, their values exponentially enhanced by the McQueen connection more than any other celebrity link.

The high market value of a 1970 Porsche 911 S coupe like the McQueen car is $55,000, according to the Sports Car Market Pocket Price Guide. That means the celebrity allure from McQueen and his movie has boosted the car’s value by a factor of 25.

McQueen took ownership of the car after the filming of Le Mans and shipped it back to California to become part of his huge collection of cars and motorcycles. He later sold it to a Los Angeles attorney who owned it for three decades.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at


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