Posted on 07/15/2021 7:12:10 AM PDT by DFG
The 1970 Porsche 917K driven by Steve McQueen in the classic film 'Le Mans' will be put up for auction next month - and could fetch more than $18million.
Expected to become the most expensive Porsche ever, the car is one of racing's most illustrious vehicles having competed in the race and starred with McQueen in the movie.
McQueen even drove it while crossing the finishing line in the winning shot.
The sports car represents the culmination of Porsche's engineering at the time as the company sought to take its first victory at the 1970 race, according to the auction's site.
The 917 was one of Porsche's most successful race cars, dominating European sports-car racing and the North American Can-Am Series, according to Motor Authority.
The car was driven by David Hobbs and Mike Hailwood, who were able to secure third place after the first four hours of the race until Hailwood refused a pit stop when heavy rain hit the course.
Hailwood eventually lost control of the vehicle during the 49th lap and slid into another car. The Porsche suffered only light damage, but it was enough to take it out of the race.
The sports car, however, was center stage in the film as it led McQueen to victory, immortalizing the vehicle in the eyes of moviegoers.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Next to the Gurney Foyt GT40, that’s a grocery cart.
Definitely remember the car. But I’d look funny driving that to work, I’d prefer a 911
When I was a kid half of one wall of my bedroom was covered in these gas station posters. The local Gulf station had so many that they would give me a dozen at a time.
Was he putting on a Fauci mask, back then?
My vote for post of the year!
Prolly worth a couple grand on Ebay today!
"Steve McQueen stars. No one else could."
i remember my parents dropped me off at the movie theatre on ft. ord to see this when i was about 6or7 years old .
Unlike Porsche's iconic flat-6 'boxer' family of engines, the 917 used a 180° V-12 engine, six crankshaft journals with the connecting rods from each pair of opposing cylinders sharing a common journal. Same arrangement as used in the engine in Ferrari's 512 Berlinetta Boxer which, despite its name, used a 180°-V design, not a "boxer" layout.
Crankshaft and jugs from a 917: 
12 jugs, six journals
They gave us a cool poster when we first went to the first run.
I don't know. If it's bought for $18.5M next month and sold for $40M ten years from now he/she will do pretty well, not to mention some income from various car shows in the meantime.
No dialogue or music, just 40 minutes of actual race car sounds.
After a couple hours, the cars get a lot of separation, so you would be able distinctly hear just one car sound approaching and passing the microphone.
After a while, you could instantly identify the car just by its sound.
The record came out several years before the movie, so the passion for Le Mans was already very high when McQueen's film showed up.
LOL - picture this image...
Four stoned freshmen with no girlfriends, sitting around a candle lit dorm room, listening to a race car record!
Ping
Post Of The Day™
I’ll need to check, but the Ford won by 32 miles/4 full laps over the second place finisher. 212 mph on Mulsanne. For its time nothing better.
lol
racing is life... everything else is just waiting
LOL
The other night We finished replacing the blade engagement cable on Mama’s riding mower and I told Her to crank it up and check the function of the new cable.
She freaked out because it was 21:30 or so and She was worried about the noise. I told Her that the neighbors would survive a few seconds of the noise.
I played this video this morning and told.Her that that would get the neighbors attention at night.
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