New member - McQueen911

[McQueen911]

No problem posting the pics Gary71, thank you. Computer upgrade next week so I should be able to do better posting images myself then.

Yes, well spotted the aerial got shifted. Radios and aerials were options then and interestingly, the car came with a manual aerial but no actual radio. Lots were dealer installed and I suspect could be sourced locally far cheaper than the factory Blaupunkts. Manual aerials went on the left but electric ones had to go on the right as there isn't enough space because of the fuel filler. It some point, an electric one got fitted hence the change over but there's still sign of the first one and I'll post a pic later. Back in the day, I had my fair share bent over by passing vandals but McQueen was too cool to wedge a wire coathanger in like we had to.

The car was McQueen's daily wheels from August 1969 until 1972. He benched it because by then, it was too widely recognised and he was increasingly hounded by the paparazzi. The Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3 he then got was fast, and far more discreet. He put it back into service after disposing of the 1976 911 Turbo he owned for a year or so. He was done with fast cars by then, and was more focused on his old favourites and had required his 356 Speedster and Jaguar XKSS. Tried but failed to get the Bullitt Mustang back too. That's when the make over happened and I think he might have been early into the Outlaw look. The legendary Parts Obsolete was owend by Rod Emory's father Gary and if you needed 356 parts then, that's where you went.

The buzz that pushing cars and bikes to their absolute limit had once given him, he lost. After 6 months driving a 917 every day with the best race car drivers of the day, nothing could match that. He found it again though, flying open cockpit vintage airplanes.

Thanks for your interest.

[964RS]

Cool story Cool Car

[roy mawbey]

Yes agree very nice story there. His son of course will look after the Speedster I guess for ever. The number of motorcycles he owned too was amazing.

Welcome along!!

Roy

[McQueen911]

I would think so. The Speedster was the first new car McQueen ever bought (although his wife actually paid for it) and won his first race in. A local SCCA event. He sold it a year later to step up to a Lotus 11 but bought it back again in 1974.

The last new car he bought will surprise most people as it's not in keeping with the posthumous King of Cool image. A Volkswagen T25 diesel crew cab. He was done with fast cars and in to vintage aircraft instead. The 'great gas mileage' is what impressed him.