It is not uncommon for movie stars to become reclusive after a brilliant performance. This is what happened to the Porsche 917 K that played the leading role in Steve McQueen’s “Le Mans”. The motion picture tells the trials and tribulations of the 24 hour race from the perspective of team Porsche.
Easily the best motorsports film of all-time, no expense was spared in the casting department. The 1970 Porsche 917 K was built for testing, in order to validate the effectiveness of the racing program. Once filming was over, the car was sold and it faded into obscurity. After decades of neglect, chassis #24 was discovered in 2001 and treated to a complete restoration.
The flat-12 engine is essentially two 911 flat-6 blocks sharing a common crankshaft. Safety was a top priority, so the tubular chassis was pressurized in order to locate any welding defects. The 1970 race was the first LeMans victory for Porsche, so if you would like to own this piece of history, Gooding & Company will be happy to help you. As part of their primetime lineup for Monterey, the estimated hammer price is $13 to $16 million. We will be reporting live on Facebook, so tune in on August 18th for all the action.
