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Ex-Steve McQueen Chevrolet El Camino Heading to Auction

See the car pictured above? That's a third-generation Chevrolet El Camino SS 396 from 1970. Out of the 47,707 units built that year, this one is arguably the most special of the lot because it has a significant ownership history in the form of one Mr. McQueen.
Steve McQueen's Chevrolet El Camino 1 photo
Photo: Auctions America
Steve McQueen, to be more explicit. Yup, the same guy called "The King of Cool." The American actor is best known for the movies he starred in the '60s and '70s, especially Bullitt (where his Ford Mustang is chased by baddies in a Dodge Charger), The Great Escape, Le Mans and the classic western movie The Magnificent Seven.

A true petrolhead, McQueen had a great passion for collecting and racing every type of car or motorcycle imaginable, from the Porsche 911 he drove at the very beginning of Le Mans to a gorgeous Jaguar XKSS, the road-going version of the legendary Jaguar D-Type racing car. However, those cars came and went, but that can't be said about the El Camino Z25 SS 396.

According to Auctions America, which will offer this car at auction at the end of this month for an estimated $100,000 to $150k, the 1970 Chevy El Camino SS 396 we're talking about has been owned by McQueen from new until his death in 1980. The second owner purchased the El Camino from his estate in the early 1980s and was able to keep McQueen's name on the title to preserve its ownership provenance.

Showing just 26,265 original miles on the clock, the El Camino Z25 SS 396 still boasts its original Hugger Orange paint and black go-faster stripes in great condition. Its fourth owner tells that the Chevelle-based pickup's chrome and wheels have little to no wear at all. Furthermore, the Chevrolet El Camino's 396 cubic-inch V8 engine with 350 horsepower on tap is coupled to the rare, optional Muncie four-speed transmission.

Want a better argument why this is one of those extremely rare opportunities to purchase one of the finest Chevrolet El Caminos around? Even the original gold keys are still with the car. Now how about that?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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