Steve McQueen is beloved by car enthusiasts for his exceptional automotive taste. The actor famously owned a Jaguar XKSS, a brown Ferrari 250 Lusso, and a number of Porsche 911s at various points in his life. He also made a certain green Mustang an icon in Bullitt, and came second at Sebring in 1970 driving a Porsche 908. Apparently, he liked Jeeps, too.
This 1945 Willys MB was owned by the actor, and it’s up for grabs in England this weekend at Silverstone Auctions’ NEC Classic Motor Show sale. Silverstone estimates it’ll sell for between £80,000 to £100,000 ($105,000 to $131,000), which is strong money for an old WWII-era Jeep.
But McQueen is one of those celebrities whose ownership of a car increases its value significantly—just take his 1976 911 Turbo, which sold for nearly $2 million in 2015, as an example. And when you compare this Jeep’s estimated sale price to the $14 million brought in by the Porsche 917 McQueen drove in Le Mans, it seems like a bargain.
McQueen apparently bought this Jeep from the US Army, and unfortunately, there’s not much info on his ownership of the 4×4, or its life in service. It was registered in California up until the actor’s death in 1980, and sold at a 1984 estate sale, as indicated by a plaque on the dashboard. The guy who bought it in ’84 kept it until recently, at which point it was shipped to the UK where it was restored.
It’s being sold with all sorts of documents proving its authenticity, and Silverstone Auctions says it should be registered for UK road use by the time it crosses the auction block. The Jeep looks to be in excellent condition, and it even comes with the original California blue license plate from McQueen’s ownership.
So, it’s expensive by Jeep standards, though perhaps not by McQueen memorabilia standards. And like the man himself, it’s all sorts of cool.
via Motor Authority
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