To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Fort
Lauderdale event, 29 - 30 March 2019.
Estimate:
$100,000 - $200,000
- Formerly owned by Steve McQueen
- Rare color combination
- Highly original throughout with a single repaint
- An unrepeatable opportunity
Steve McQueen, at one time the world's highest paid actor, racing
driver, motoring enthusiast, and pop culture icon, needs little
introduction here or anywhere else. The fact that many of McQueen's
classic films included automobiles, motorcycles, or motorsport as
central plot elements and his off-screen passion for great
motorized hardware cemented his status as one of the preeminent
motoring enthusiasts of all time. McQueen acquired, drove, and
raced dozens of fabulous cars and hundreds of interesting
motorcycles, among them, numerous Porsches, at least three
Ferraris, an ultra-rare Jaguar XKSS, and two Hudsons, one of which
is offered here.
The Hudson Hornet is likely the most famous of the historically
significant "step down" Hudson model designs. The car's chassis
architecture, and the way the body was mounted on it, meant that
entering passengers stepped down modestly into the interior of the
car, and this also allowed for a lower center of gravity and
improved roadholding. This is one of the reasons the Hornet was
such a successful race car, especially in the early days of NASCAR
racing.
Always interested in race cars and high-performance automobiles,
McQueen purchased this Hudson Hornet 7C Sedan in the mid-1970s, and
it was registered into his name in August 1977. It is offered here
with several registrations, as well as the actual blue and yellow
California license plates the car wore during its tenure in his
collection. This Twin H-Power Hudson was in his ownership and
possession at the time of his passing on 7 November 1980.
Subsequent to McQueen's passing, an estate sale was held in
November 1984, and the subject Hornet sedan was sold into private
ownership at that time, which included a numbered certificate of
authenticity signed by McQueen's daughter, Terry, and son, Chad.
That document, along with the aforementioned registrations, license
plates, and service and maintenance documentation since 1976, are
included with the sale of the car today.
The car, fresh from long-term single ownership, presents to a very
high and factory-authentic level. The engine was rebuilt during
McQueen's ownership and the car has since been treated to one
high-quality repaint to the factory original color scheme. Much of
the chrome has been re-plated, and the McQueen Hornet still proudly
wears its factory original interior. This fine Hudson Hornet Twin H
represents an attractive opportunity to acquire an important and
interesting car that benefits from prior ownership by the "King of
Cool," with bulletproof and unquestioned documentation and
provenance. It is an opportunity that will not come again soon.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/fl19.
