The racing suit worn by the late Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans is being offered for sale by Toronto’s Collector’s Studio. The iconic two-piece flame resistant Nomex cream garment made by Hinchman of Indianapolis, bears the name of McQueen’s character in the movie, Michael Delaney. It also features the insignia of Gulf, Heuer, Firestone, and the American flag.
The suit shows good signs of use and is fully documented, having been donated by Solar Productions / MGM to a British newspaper for a Le Mans themed contest in 1971. It was presented to the winner by British racing legend Richard Attwood, who won Le Mans in 1970 driving the famous Porsche 917K with Gulf livery made famous by McQueen.
According to JamesList, while the company has not put a firm price on the suit, there have been several serious offers so far, the highest of which is $140,000.
The Original Steve McQueen's Le Mans Racing Suit
The Le Mans action film features footage from the actual 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. “The King of Cool,” as McQueen was nicknamed, played Michael Delaney, the main character. In the focus is the duel between the German Stahler in Ferrari 512LM and the American Delaney in Gulf Team Porsche 917.
As an avid racer, McQueen is recognized for performing many of his own stunts, especially the majority of the stunt driving during the high-speed chase scene in Bullitt. McQueen died at the age of 50 in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, following an operation to remove or reduce several metastatic tumors in his neck and abdomen.
