Steve McQueen's Le Mans Porsche 917

This iconic Gulf Oil-liveried Porsche 917K, is one of those rare legends that transcends motorsport to become a cultural icon, beloved by car enthusiasts and film fans alike. In 1970, Steve McQueen’s Solar Productions acquired chassis 917-022 straight from the Porsche factory. McQueen, fresh off a second-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, planned to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans himself. However, film financiers vetoed the idea, fearing the risks involved. Instead, the car starred in his epic film Le Mans (1971), a raw and authentic portrayal of the famous endurance race. The Gulf Oil-liveried 917 became the hero car, driven by McQueen’s character, Michael Delaney.

Filming was intense, with custom-mounted cameras capturing unprecedented racing footage. Remarkably, the mounting points from those sequences remain intact today, a tribute to the car’s role in one of cinema’s most thrilling automotive films.

After Le Mans, the 917 was acquired by racing legend Reinhold Joest, who campaigned it during the 1971 season with a series of well-known drivers. It later passed to Porsche factory driver Brian Redman, who sold it to his friend, Richard Attwood, in 1977. Attwood, fresh from his victory in the 1970 Salzburg 917K, repainted it in a red and white livery reminiscent of his winning car. He raced it at historic events across Europe before deciding to return it to its famous Blue and Orange Gulf Oil livery in 1999.

The car was auctioned off in 2000, before passing to Jerry Seinfeld in 2001. Seinfeld, a devoted Porsche collector, has preserved this legendary 917 in its Le Mans guise ever since.

This iconic 1969 Porsche 917K will feature as part of Mecum Auctions upcoming Kissimmee sale on 18th January 2025. Photo © Mecum Auctions