Photo: Bonhams
Four years ago, the motorsport fan community was all enthusiastic about this particular racing suit Steve McQueen wore in the 1971 film LeMans. The estimated price it would go under the hammer was $140,000. Today, the same iconic outfit is once again going up for auction and it’s priced double that amount.
In the light of the long-expected documentary - McQueen: The Man & Le Mans - the iconic racing suit is once again sitting in the spotlight. The outfit is part of a bigger collection titled "Treasures from the Dream Factory," which is part of today’s New York auction managed by Bonhams.
What passes as intriguing is the way these collectibles keep showing up at the right moment, and therefore, doubling in price. To be more precise, the world is offered a complete two piece race suit, comprising a Hinchman cream-colored racing jacket and matching cream-colored trousers, accompanied by the original flame-retardant undergarments and a protective cream turtleneck sweater.
The Hinchman racing jacket sports the distinctive orange and blue stripes down the front and Gulf, Firestone, and Chronograph Heuer patches sewn on the chest.
It also features "Michael Delaney" embroidered in blue script on the right breast, a Hinchman Nomex patch on the right shoulder, a Gulf patch on the back, a faded area on the left sleeve, where the American flag patch would have been fixed, a zipper down the center with Velcro fastenings to collar and waist and fitted elastic cuffs and possible areas of production simulated blood markings to the chest and right arm.
The costume is part of a small group of suits the King of Cool worn throughout the making of the film, with three known to remain today on the market. As mentioned above, the outfit is not a popular collectible such as scale models for instance. It’s through the power of the film itself - which has become a cult classic among car enthusiasts - that this racing suit has turned into an iconic piece of fabric.
One must understand and respect the power of collectibles, but the question stands: how come they always show up at the right moment?
What passes as intriguing is the way these collectibles keep showing up at the right moment, and therefore, doubling in price. To be more precise, the world is offered a complete two piece race suit, comprising a Hinchman cream-colored racing jacket and matching cream-colored trousers, accompanied by the original flame-retardant undergarments and a protective cream turtleneck sweater.
The Hinchman racing jacket sports the distinctive orange and blue stripes down the front and Gulf, Firestone, and Chronograph Heuer patches sewn on the chest.
It also features "Michael Delaney" embroidered in blue script on the right breast, a Hinchman Nomex patch on the right shoulder, a Gulf patch on the back, a faded area on the left sleeve, where the American flag patch would have been fixed, a zipper down the center with Velcro fastenings to collar and waist and fitted elastic cuffs and possible areas of production simulated blood markings to the chest and right arm.
The costume is part of a small group of suits the King of Cool worn throughout the making of the film, with three known to remain today on the market. As mentioned above, the outfit is not a popular collectible such as scale models for instance. It’s through the power of the film itself - which has become a cult classic among car enthusiasts - that this racing suit has turned into an iconic piece of fabric.
One must understand and respect the power of collectibles, but the question stands: how come they always show up at the right moment?
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