- A Porsche 917K race car driven by Steve McQueen in Le Mans will cross the auction block this month
- Its celebrity provenance doesn’t end there: the car’s been owned by Jerry Seinfeld the last 25 years
- When it goes under the hammer, it could very well become the most expensive Porsche ever sold
Crossing the block at a Mecum event in Florida this month is what could very well turn out to be the most expensive Porsche ever auctioned. You’re looking at a Gulf-liveried 1969 Porsche 917K, a motorsports legend that in and of itself is one rare piece of machinery. However, this is arguably the Porsche 917K to get, one which has racing and movie provenance, plus a roster of famous owners under its rock-star belt.
The machine was bought new in 1970 by none other than Steve McQueen and movie house Solar Productions, taking delivery of the car straight from Porsche. This is the very machine which was used extensively in the film Le Mans, released the next year, driven by McQueen in numerous movie sequences and getting plenty of screen time.
Officially known as chassis number 917-022, it was specially prepared and altered for film production in a number of ways, including via the addition of camera mounts and brackets. It is said some of those cam locations are still intact, even after an extensive restoration by Cavaglieri Restorations last year.
Following use in the film, this car was purchased by a motorsports team and campaigned in the 1971 season of racing, so plenty of real-world track action has passed its windows as well. After another series of owners, including a Porsche factory driver, it ended up in the hands of mega-collector Jerry Seinfeld, who has been the car’s caretaker for nearly 25 years. If you’re wondering, it is powered by a 4.5L V12 engine good for nearly 575 horsepower.
How much? We shall see. It last changed hands in the public eye at the turn of the millennium for US$1.32 million, prior to it landing in the Seinfeld garage. It isn’t publicly known how much the comedian paid a year after that auction sale. Another 917K, chassis number 024, sold a few years back for a tick over US$14 million including fees, so one would think this car, with its remarkable provenance, will hammer away for a higher sum.
Lost in the mists of time and rose-coloured glasses is the uncomfortable fact the Le Mans movie was not at all successful when it was released, to the point where it actually caused Solar Productions to declare bankruptcy. It has since become a cult classic, of course, as it should, with no fewer than 41 professional drivers hired for the flick and an entire village built near the Houx campgrounds to house film services.
The 917K will cross the block in Kissimmee, Florida on January 18. We’ll update this piece with the sale price once it’s gone under the hammer.
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