Photo: Mecum Auctions
Back in the day, you couldn’t get a more cooler action movie star than Val Kilmer. The star of box-office and commercial hits like Heat, Batman Forever, The Doors, and Top Gun once drove a car to match his level of coolness – and it could now be yours.
There’s a “but” to all this, namely that you have to be willing (and able) to part with as much as $140,000 in order to drive Kilmer’s old car. Mecum Auctions has announced the listing of a custom 1969 Pontiac GTO convertible for its upcoming Monterey 2021 event, which will take place between August 12 and 14. It once used to belong to Kilmer.
Strangely enough, where most sellers would drum up the celebrity association in cars with celebrity provenance to boost retail value, this isn’t happening here. Aside from the mention that this was Kilmer’s ride, Mecum hardly bothers with it, to the point where no detail regarding ownership is included.
That must be partly because the ride is exceptional even without Kilmer’s name (and former coolness level) associated with it. It’s a frame-off rotisserie restoration with plenty of custom touches, presenting in excellent condition and with outstanding style, so it’s bound to make an impression on collectors and enthusiasts without the need for trumpeting its celebrity provenance.
Power comes from an original numbers-matching 400ci Pontiac V8 engine paired with a rebuilt 700R automatic transmission. Custom touches include the $4,500 wheels, split twin exhaust, the custom interior in stark white leather and the matching white soft top, Air Ride suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, custom radio unit and air conditioning through Vintage Air, and new dash and gauges.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousands words, in which case the gallery above should provide several thousands of them. This GTO convertible is sleek, gorgeous and badass, just the kind of car you’d imagine a more rogue (and perhaps less rich) Bruce Wayne could drive.
Strangely enough, where most sellers would drum up the celebrity association in cars with celebrity provenance to boost retail value, this isn’t happening here. Aside from the mention that this was Kilmer’s ride, Mecum hardly bothers with it, to the point where no detail regarding ownership is included.
That must be partly because the ride is exceptional even without Kilmer’s name (and former coolness level) associated with it. It’s a frame-off rotisserie restoration with plenty of custom touches, presenting in excellent condition and with outstanding style, so it’s bound to make an impression on collectors and enthusiasts without the need for trumpeting its celebrity provenance.
Power comes from an original numbers-matching 400ci Pontiac V8 engine paired with a rebuilt 700R automatic transmission. Custom touches include the $4,500 wheels, split twin exhaust, the custom interior in stark white leather and the matching white soft top, Air Ride suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, custom radio unit and air conditioning through Vintage Air, and new dash and gauges.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousands words, in which case the gallery above should provide several thousands of them. This GTO convertible is sleek, gorgeous and badass, just the kind of car you’d imagine a more rogue (and perhaps less rich) Bruce Wayne could drive.
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