Steve McQueen's Porsche 930 Turbo sells for $1.95 million

Steve McQueen's Porsche 930 Turbo sells for $1.95 million

Published Aug. 18, 2015 11:40 a.m. ET

How much is Steve McQueen's name worth these days? Apparently a lot.

A 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo once owned by the star was sold at the Mecum Auctions event in Monterey this past weekend for a staggering $1.95 million. That for a car which, without the Hollywood legend's name on it, is worth less than $200,000.

The slate gray coupe was the last car special ordered by McQueen before his death in 1980. The 234-hp Porsche was one of the fastest cars of its day, and a notoriously difficult one to drive. This one was had the early, non-intercooled turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine, four-speed manual, limited-slip differential and black sport seats.

It was delivered with seven-inch front and eight-inch rear wide wheels, but McQueen updated them to eight-inch and nine-inch, respectively, in his ongoing quest for speed. To help him achieve it, he had a kill switch installed for the taillights in case he was chased by the cops while racing along Los Angeles' Mullholland Drive, according to his son Chad.

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Part of the proceeds from the sale are being donated to Boys Republic, an organization for troubled youth that McQueen was sent to as a teenager and supported for the rest of his life.

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