Porsche 917 From Steve McQueen’s Le Mans Fetches $14 Million

Besides handing Porsche its first victory at Le Mans and being the same car that McQueen drove in the movie, the 917 becomes the most expensive Porsche ever.

The Porsche 917 is a special vehicle for numerous reasons. In addition to being the car to help the German automaker achieve its first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the car also became the star in Steve McQueen’s 1971 film called Le Mans. With that kind of history, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that a 917 became the most expensive Porsche ever sold.

As Motor Authority reports, the 917K that was used in the actual film crossed the auction block during the Monterey Car Week and went for more than $14 million. As the outlet reports, chassis 917-024 had a captivating life, as it was used for various testing purposes at Le Mans, the Nurburgring, and Ehra-Lessien, Volkswagen’s test track in Germany. The Porsche, as the outlet claims, was then sold to Jo Siffert, a factory test driver who let McQueen’s production crew add the vehicle with its iconic Gulf livery to the film’s extensive fleet.

After filming finished, Motor Authority claims that Siffert retained the vehicle until his unfortunate death while racing his BRM car, which saw a French collector purchase the 917 in 1978. After a lengthy period out of the spotlight, the vehicle remained hidden away until 2001. Eventually, the racecar was found in a warehouse and was purchased by a buyer in Switzerland, claims the outlet.

The Swiss collector restored the vehicle, which included fixing the original frame and having a replacement one made, reports the outlet. While the 917 retains its original frame, the engine is from a different vehicle, as Motor Authority claims that the original motor was given back to Porsche after filming was complete. Engine code 917-021, as the outlet reports, has been with the car for numerous years.

At $14,080,000, the 917 costs the same amount as roughly 16 new Porsche 918 Spyders. But for that price, the new owner, as Motor Authority reports, received one of the most iconic vehicles in the world, the extra frame, and enough documentation on the vehicle to write a book. Hopefully, the new owner keeps the vehicle out in the open. To get a better view of the 917K, and to see the car in action, check out Gooding and Company’s video above, which is where the incredible pictures are from.