Gooding & Company has announced plans to auction off an extremely rare 1970 Porsche 917K that was used in Steve McQueen’s racing epic Le Mans.
Perhaps one of the most famous race cars in the world, this 917K was first used by Porsche during the 1970 Le Mans test session where it set the fastest time in the event with Brian Redman behind the wheel. The successful test paved the way for a Le Mans victory two months later.
Following some additional tests, the car was sold to Porsche factory driver Jo Siffert. Siffert, in turn, leased the car to Steve McQueen’s Solar Productions for use in the 1971 film Le Mans. The car not only starred in the movie but was also used as a camera vehicle since it was one of only a handful of models which could keep up with the racing action.
When filming concluded, the car was returned to Siffert and it remained in his collection until his death in 1971. The car was eventually sold to a private collector from Paris a few years later.
The car was largely forgotten until it was rediscovered in 2001 in remarkably original condition. The car has since been restored and is being billed as “one of the most correct and significant 917s in existence and easily one of the finest racing cars ever to come to public auction.”
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H/T to Road and Track