Steve McQueen's 1953 Siata 208S Spider Hits the Auction Block

Rm Auctions’ Monterey sale, scheduled to take place in California on August 19-20, is to feature the sale of a 1953 Siata 208S Spider, a car that was formerly owned by none other than the King of Cool himself, the late Steve McQueen. The Hollywood icon bought the car in question, in its original gunmetal grey, sometime in 1956, attaching Ferrari badges to and referred to it as his ‘little Ferrari.’

He only kept it for about 2 years, with the Siata subsequently going through the hands of a number of owners, sustained an extensive restoration in 1991, with the current owner purchasing it back in 2000, when he also refreshed it a bit.

Today, the car comes in a custom deep Ruby Red paintwork by Brian Hoyt, with just a few small chips on the front of the car from road use. The polished aluminum trim and Boranni wheels are in excellent condition and are shod with the period-correct Michelin X tires. The glass and lamps are also flawless, and a pair of auxiliary driving lamps has been fitted behind the grille.

Inside the car we find an Oyster-toned leather upholstery and the floors have the correct black diamond rubber matting. The painted dashboard featuring jewel-like Jaeger instruments are excellent, and the wood steering wheel professionally restored. The contrasting oatmeal carpets are in excellent shape as well, as is the black soft top. A set of modern safety harnesses complete the inside picture.

As for the engine, 8V engine develops some 123 bhp at 6,300 rpm, and is mated with a four-speed manual transmission, with the top speed rated at around 120 mph (193 km/h). In fact, the lot is even eligible for the Mille Miglia.

One of only 35 ever created and priced at $5,300 as new, the car was unsuccessfully listed for a buy it now at $1,295,000 or best offer on eBay back in May 2010. So expect the hammer to drop around that seven-digit figure.