Steve McQueen’s Ferrari heads to auction
Steve McQueen’s Ferrari 275 GTB/4 is set for auction in California in late 2023, almost 10 years on from its previous sale at ~$14.9 m NZD (~$19.3 NZD in today’s economy).
The vehicle, listed by RM Sotheby’s, found its first ever owner in the American actor, and was one of only 330 examples created between 196 and 1968 with bodywork by Scaglietti.
And while McQueen had previously owned the car’s convertible version - the N.A.R.T Spider - an accident saw him purchase the coupe from Hollywood Sport Cars’ Chic Vandagriff.
When McQueen received the car, it was actually coated in a Nacciola golden metallic paint, but was soon transformed into its iconic red self asking a request from McQueen to his mechanic, Lee Brown. Brown had also worked on the Ford Mustang from McQueen’s Bullitt, and with this job, created the colour known as ‘Chianti Red’.
The paint job wasn’t the only custom work that the Ferrari saw, with parts from the N.A.R.T Spider transferred across - including its Borrani wire wheels and its bespoke wing mirror.
None of it, however, was enough for the actor to keep the car, with McQueen selling it on to fellow screen star Guy Williams in 1971.
From there until 2009, it encountered a number of new owners, before it arrived in the United Kingdom and crossed paths - as a silver vehicle - with retired Australian Formula One driver 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan.
Schuppan had a vision in mind from the moment of the sale, intending to restore the Ferrari to how it had been in the hands of McQueen. It was a big task, and Schuppan had to call in help, even sending the car to Ferrari for restorations.
In the hands of the company and its in-house restoration program, the car underwent another painting session - first to its original Nocciola, before it was sprayed back to its Chianti Red roots with a little help from a swatch from Lee Brown.
Back in prime condition, the Ferrari made its way to Italy’s Museo Ferrari and then California’s Petersen Automotive Museum, before Schuppan made the decision to sell - also with RM Sotheby’s - in 2014.
And while it sold then for a staggering ~$14.9m, an estimate is unavailable for the car’s - likely astronomical - 2023 selling price.
Images: RM Sotheby’s