Steve McQueen's Porsche Addiction Ran Deep
Legendary actor pursued his passion on and off the track, though usually in a Porsche.
Passion for Racing
It's no secret that legendary actor Steve McQueen was a true car enthusiast. But aside from owning some amazing vehicles in his lifetime, the late legend was also addicted to motorsports and pursued his passion as a private racer in a rather uncompromising fashion. And those efforts were enough to capture the attention and earn the admiration of plenty of important people.
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Ultimate Compliment
In fact, back in March of 1970, McQueen received a letter from Ferry Porsche himself. "It is a great pleasure to extend my warm congratulations to you on your outstanding performance at the 12 Hours of Sebring," Porsche said, noting he had "followed the race from home with rapt attention." Forty-years-old at the time, McQueen was not only one of the most successful Hollywood stars of the day, but also an avid racer. "You can imagine how delighted I was that you posted such a brilliant result in a car of our brand," Porsche concluded.
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Heroic Effort
McQueen and his teammate Peter Revson had indeed pulled off a heroic feat at the classic long-distance race in Florida. Although they were clearly outmatched by the more powerful competition in their Porsche 908/02 Spyder KH (Kurzheck, or short tail) nicknamed "Flounder," they led the pack in the final stages of the race and were only overtaken by Mario Andretti in a Ferrari on the last lap. The American driver crossed the finish line with a mere 23-second gap after 12 hours at race pace.
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Man of His Word
What makes this finish even more impressive is the fact that McQueen pulled it off with an injured foot. He had arrived for the race in Sebring on crutches and sporting a cast. "The foot's broken in six places," McQueen explained matter-of-factly to the waiting TV reporters. "We had to shorten the left pedal in the car and glue sandpaper to the sole of my shoe for me to be able to work the clutch." The notion of pulling out, however, hadn't crossed his mind - "I had given my word," the actor said.
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New Identity
McQueen's fascination with Porsche began early in life. His first new car was a black Porsche 356 A Speedster. A few years later, in 1959, he entered nine races at the Sports Car Club of America in California. His very first official race, in Santa Barbara on May 31st, ended with a victory in the novice class. "I was hooked. Racing gave me a new identity," McQueen acknowledged later. "And it was important to me to have that independent identity."
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First Love
Countless more sports cars and racing machines would follow over the course of McQueen's 20-year career. He collected almost obsessively – not only cars but also motorcycles and even aircraft. But his first love was always Porsche, and that's the one consistent thing that never faltered throughout the actor's star-studded life. Well, other than his deep passion for speed, that is.
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