Both Jerry Seinfeld and Steve McQueen have owned this Porsche 917K. McQueen even used the car for filming the 1971 film Le Mans.
Porsche has always had a special appeal, but when it comes to rare models, interest increases significantly.
Steve McQueen's former Porsche 917K, which was also owned by celebrity Jerry Seinfeld, is now up for sale. This car is a perfect example of a car that combines racing history, celebrity ownership and a role in a Hollywood movie.
The Porsche 917 is widely regarded as one of the best racing cars of all time and was Porsche's weapon of choice for long-distance racing. With the 917, Porsche secured its first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970.
Only 65 examples of the 917 were produced, and while all are extraordinary, some are more special than others.
Chassis 917-022, a Gulf-painted 917K (Kurzheck, or "short tail"), is not just special; it's the 917 you've seen on posters, in documentaries, or in the 1971 film "Le Mans."
The car is equipped with a 4.5-liter V12 engine that produces 580 horsepower and 497 Nm of torque.
All that muscle is sent directly to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. According to Porsche, 917s with the even larger 5.0-liter V12 engine could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.7 seconds in the late 1970s.
McQueen had planned to race the specific example at Le Mans against none other than Sir Jackie Stewart. However, a production company forbade him from participating. Instead, he used the car as the star of his 1971 film "Le Mans."
After its film career, 917-022 continued to race. It was sold to privateer Reinhold Joest, who raced it in various races in 1971. It later changed hands several times, ending up with Jerry Seinfeld in 2001.
Now the iconic Porsche 917K is back for sale, and it is expected to fetch a record high price at auction. How much we will only know after the auction, which takes place on Saturday, January 18th.
