Steve McQueen’s Iconic Le Mans Racing Suit Is For Sale

Gulf colors, a coffee stain and some authentic pit sweat.

byBen Keeshin|
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You hear “celebrity costume auction” and think: Oh, Elton John must be going through a tough time financially. Maybe Cher is still recovering after her mail-order home furnishings business flopped. But duds from butch-as-hell grease-monkey, racing driver and actor? Unlikely.

Bonhams

Somehow, the odds have fallen in favor of the Steve McQueen fan. The star’s racing suit, worn in Le Mans, is up for sale, preserved in exactly the condition in which McQueen left it. (That means coffee stains, included.) As with most props, there was not one but many suits used in Le Mans, but this this is one of only three that remain. As a pristine example of a vintage racing outfit with Gulf, Tag Heuer and Firestone patches intact, this suit would be a mighty prize. It even has “Michael Delaney” embroidered on across the breast. The fact that it was worn by Steve McQueen during his most ambitious project ought to push prices into the stratosphere; Bonhams expects it to bring between $200,000 and $300,000—about right for what might be the juiciest piece of McQueen memorabilia this side of his Ferrari Lusso.

Bonhams

To whomever wins the sale: Steve was 5’ 10” and around 165. Make sure you fit. Those seams best not be broken.

Bonhams
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