A 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS that was once owned by the King of Cool, is being offered at Auctions America's Burbank, California sale from 31 July-2 August. The car was delivered to McQueen in 1970 and remained with the actor until his death 10 years later, when it was sold off as part of his estate. It is expected to cross the block for $100-150,000.
The Chevy is believed to have been gifted to the part-time racer by General Motors for promotional reasons, and was the only example built in 1970 to sport Hugger Orange paintwork. Power is provided by a 396cu in big-block V8, which is mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Interestingly, the second owner managed to keep McQueen's name on the logbook, and the car also retains its original gold keys and 8-Track stereo.
In addition to the El Camino, a 1990 Ferrari F40 and a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra are set to excite. The Ferrari has just 7900 miles on the clock, and is thought to be the 60th or just 213 US-specification F40s. It's expected to fetch as much as $1.3m.
The Cobra isn't far behind, wearing a pre-sale estimate of $900,000-1,100,000. Its first owner was based in Indiana, and it remained in the US until 1979, when it was shipped to the UK. Later it changed hands again, this time to an enthusiast in Germany, who fitted the car with aluminium cylinder heads, Weber carburettors and four-pot disc brakes. Following his ownership, the Shelby passed to 1988 British Touring Car Champion Frank Sytner before returning to America.
“We’re thrilled to offer a genuine 427 Cobra, Ferrari F40 and the ex-Steve McQueen El Camino at our upcoming Burbank sale,” said managing director Ian Kelleher. “Last year our California sale bested all estimates and set a new benchmark for a collector car auction in Los Angeles. As a result, we’ve welcomed unprecedented interest in this year’s event, filling all 400 slots more than a month before the sale. With a series of fantastic collections on offer and some incredibly rare and historic vehicles crossing the block, Burbank will be very exciting this year.”
The auction will also include a 49-strong Southern Californian collection, which is headlined by a 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster and a 1962 Volkswagen Camper. The majority of the cars have been in long-term ownership and are fresh to the market.
