Steve McQueen’s Shelby 289 Cobra Will Be Sold at Auction

Deep-pocketed visitors to this year’s Monterey Car Week will have an opportunity to own both a piece of Hollywood history and a piece of automotive industry. Spoiler alert: they’re one and the same. Writing at Road & Track, Stephen Rivers has more details on the upcoming sale of McQueen’s own 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra Roadster — a vehicle that, Rivers notes, would already command a high price even before factoring in the “driven by a movie star” factor.

Mecum Auctions is handling the sale of the Cobra, which McQueen owned between 1965 and 1967. The original owner of the car was another film industry notable, L.A. Confidential producer David L. Wolper, who died in 2010. After Wolper, Elmer Bernstein owned the car, and provided it to McQueen for his use. It’s worth noting here that Bernstein composed the score for the McQueen-starring The Great Escape, among numerous other films.

Though the Cobra Roadster is over 60 years old, it has only traveled a total of 27,544 kilometers (or 17,115 miles) during that time. It’s being sold with its original body and engine. Mecum estimates that it will sell for between $1.25 and $1.5 million; the auction will take place on August 16.

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McQueen’s passion for cars has been well-documented, and his collection included some enviable vehicles. He also engaged in some competitive driving, including a memorable stint taking part in 12 Hours of Sebring in 1970. If the Shelby 289 Cobra Roadster does sell for what Mecum estimates it will, it’ll be an impressive sale – but it also won’t unseat the priciest McQueen-associated cars sold at earlier auctions.