Express & Star

Steve McQueen’s Willys Jeep heads to auction

Military machine that belonged to ‘The King of Cool’ is to go under the hammer and could sell for £100,000

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A Willys Jeep owned by film legend Steve McQueen at the time of his death could fetch £100,000 when it heads to auction.

The late Hollywood star – of Bullitt, The Great Escape and Le Mans fame and known as ‘The King of Cool’ – is a former owner of the military machine, which was initially delivered to the US Army on July 7, 1945.

The Willys Jeep was conceived after the US Army put a tender out to numerous manufacturers in 1940 for a lightweight, yet rugged vehicle, with Willys Overland Motors the successful firm. It quickly grew to become an icon of motoring, spawning the Jeep brand of passenger cars known today.

Underneath the bonnet lies a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine developing around 60bhp when new, sent through an all-wheel-drive system.

This particular example first went to auction a few years after McQueen’s 1980 death, selling in 1984 for $6,000 (circa £4,400 at the time). It has since been imported to the United Kingdom and restored by specialists Jeeparts UK.

The car has also been fitted with a plaque to denote McQueen’s ownership, and comes with blue Californian licence plates dated until October 31, 1980 – exactly a week before the actor’s death aged 50 from a heart attack following tumour surgery.

(Silverstone Auctions)

It is to be sold at the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale in Birmingham, which takes place on November 10 and 11, and is estimated to fetch between £80,000 and £100,000.

Those looking for even more McQueen car magic can look forward to the upcoming new Ford Mustang Bullitt. The special-edition car, which is set to arrive on UK shores imminently, was inspired by the Mustang GT350 that McQueen drove in Bullitt – most notably as part of the iconic chase scene in the film, which was released 50 years ago today.

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