ROME – A record price for the Porsche 917K of Hailwood and Steve McQueen. The iconic car that took to the track at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970, only to become even more famous than the McQueen film of the same name, will in fact go to auction at Sotheby’s. The vehicle, in the historic Gulf livery, is powered by an air-cooled 12-cylinder engine and capable of propelling the car to speeds in excess of 230 mph.
The car, with race number 22 and chassis 026, was entrusted to the track in 1970 by nine-time world champion Mike Hailwood and David Hobbs, with the aim of winning the 24 Hours. For the two drivers, however, the dream ended on lap 50, when Hailwood lost control of the car due to the rain, crashing into a wall. After the accident the car was repaired, with a new chassis number, and converted into a 917 Spyder to race in the European championship as a group 7 car.
To drive it, the private driver Ernst Kraus, who sold it to the Gelo Racing Team of Georg Loos with whom he continued to race throughout 1973.
Later the 917K became part of a private collection and then passed into the hands of Mike Amalfitano. The current owner, who in turn bought it at a Bonhams auction in 2010 for less than four million dollars, has restored it to its original state by removing the yellow and red livery that had replaced the original. The auction, in Monterey, is scheduled for next August and experts have predicted that it could reach a record figure of 15 million dollars.
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