Steve McQueen: His last ride is on the auction block
One of the most famous car-chase scenes in Hollywood history features Steve McQueen behind the wheel of a green 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 in the movie "Bullitt."
In real life, the actor was a serious car, truck, and motorcycle collector, possessing the pink slips to more than 60 rare vehicles.
“Steve’s collection of cars and motorcycles cluttered the private driveway that serviced a row of homes near the beach, but that didn’t stop him from buying whatever he wanted,” Minty McQueen said. “I remember one time we drove past a migrant farm worker who had this bitchin’ old truck and Steve turned the car around and wrote him a check on the spot."
In 1978, McQueen bought a 1952 Forest Green Chevrolet 3800 series one-ton long-bed pickup truck. In the bed was a custom built aluminum camper. That six-cylinder, four-speed stick shift pickup is for sale and will be sold by Mecum Auctions on July 26.
According to the auction house, this was the last vehicle that McQueen rode in before he died in 1980. He drove it to the airport before flying to Mexico for surgery. "Accompanying McQueen in the camper was the Reverend Billy Graham. According to Graham, McQueen peppered him with questions of the afterlife on this ‘last ride.’ When they arrived at the airport, Graham read a number of passages of Scripture and they prayed several times. After “Amen,” Graham instinctively handed over his Bible to McQueen, which became his proudest possession. He was clutching the Bible when he passed away a few days later."
In other Steve McQueen memorabilia news, the tweed jacket worn by McQueen as "Lt. Frank Bullitt" in the 1968 movie is also up for sale this month. According to the auction house, Profiles in History, the brown herringbone tweed jacket should sell for between $600,000 and $800,000.
