Remembering Steve McQueen

The Early Years

Though successful in his adult years, Steve McQueen, born Terrence Stephen McQueen, lived a tumultuous life as an adolescent. Born to a struggling single mother on March 24, 1930, in Grove, Indiana, McQueen was regularly passed from household to household, crediting several formative years to his Grandparents and Uncle, Claude. Mcqueen often credited his love for anything-on-wheels to his uncle, who gifted a young McQueen his first tricycle. 

After years of passing through the hands of his mother, abusive stepfather, and several relatives, McQueen moved to Los Angeles, where he turned to delinquency, engaging in petty thievery and illegal acts with local street gangs. These acts landed a then fourteen-year-old McQueen in trouble with the law, which led to a stint in a troubled youth center.

Military Service

At the age of sixteen, McQueen left the boy's home to reunite with his mother in New York; however, the journey was short-lived. After a series of odd jobs and more legal trouble, McQueen enlisted in the United States Marine Corps with permission from his mother, due to his still being underage.  

Though he initially struggled with the rigid structure and order of military life, McQueen eventually embraced his service, often crediting his experience in the Marines as formative years in his troubled life.

Neighborhood Playhouse

After several years in the military, McQueen was honorably discharged in 1950. Two years later, in 1952, with his payout from the G.I. Bill, McQueen took up acting in New York at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse and HB Studio. It’s this early acting experience that drew him to the silver screen.

After years of performing, including a brief stint on Broadway, McQueen moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television, all the while partaking in amateur motorcycle races for payouts.

Silver Screen Success

Under the direction of Hollywood manager Hilly Elkins, McQueen earned several TV guest roles, including a small part in Somebody Up There Likes Me alongside Paul Newman. Though semi-active in his early and mid-twenties, McQueen’s major break came through several TV Western performances, including roles in NBC’s Tales of Wells Fargo, Trackdown, and CBS’ Wanted Dead or Alive. 

It’s such roles, as well as his part alongside the great Frank Sinatra in Never So Few, that helped to establish McQueen’s anti-hero, counterculture persona.

The Great Escape (1963)

Steve McQueen landed his first lead role in 1963's The Great Escape, a fictional depiction of a mass escape from German POW camp, Stalag Luft III, during WWII. This role led to such memorable sequences as his iconic Motorcycle jump as Captain Virgil “The Cooler King” Hilts, a stunt actually performed by longtime friend Bud Ekins, who’d later pilot a green 1968 Mustang GT 390 through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt. 

This film established McQueen as a silver-screen superstar, earning him several of his later roles and “Best Actor” at the Moscow Film Festival.

Bullitt (1968)

Arguably McQueen’s most memorable performance is 1968’s Bullitt, a film that follows San Francisco Detective Frank Bullitt, played by McQueen, in a neo-noir flick of revenge and justice. Bullitt birthed one of the most legendary automotive chase sequences in film history, in which McQueen (and stunt driver Bud Ekins) race through the streets of San Francisco in a Dark Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390, followed by two would-be hitmen in a black 1968 Dodge Charger. 

The film became a massive box office success and is still a fan-favorite to this day.

Le Mans (1971)

1971’s Le Mans follows Michael Delaney, played by McQueen, an accomplished yet troubled racer during the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race in Le Mans, France. Delaney, haunted by the memory of a deadly crash the previous year, must conquer his fears to race to a second-place finish. 

Though not as successful as some of McQueen's other films, Le Mans was a passion project for the actor, allowing him to combine his love for racing and acting.

Beyond the Silver Screen

McQueen’s counterculture, anti-hero persona wasn’t just fictionalized in his films; the actor maintained his “King of Cool” attitude off-set as well, known for his charming, debonair personality and rebellious attitude.

Personal Life

McQueen was known to live a fast-paced life, enjoying the simple pleasures of fast cars, martial arts, alcohol, and romance. His three marriages, resulting in two divorces, led to the birth of his children Chad and Terry McQueen. Chad, who founded McQueen-Racing in 2010, now leaves the business to be carried forth by McQueen’s grandchildren, Chase and Madison. The McQueens honor their grandfather through collaborations with such performance brands as Steeda.

After filming The Towering Inferno, McQueen disappeared from the public eye to pursue motorcycle racing, touring the country in a motorhome with his vintage Indian motorcycles. McQueen returned to acting in 1978 for his two final roles.

Harvey Mushman: Anonymity Beneath the Helmet

Steve McQueen was an avid racing fanatic, competing frequently under the alias “Harvey Mushman.” He competed in such events as the 1961 British Touring Car Championship, in which he finished third, and the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring, in which he and team member Peter Revson won in the three-liter class with a Porsche 908/02. The duo missed an overall victory by 21.1 seconds, losing to legends Mario Andretti, Ignazio Giunti, and Nino Vaccarella in a five-liter Ferrari 512S. 

In his later life, McQueen competed in several off-road motorcycle races, including the Mint 400, Baja 1000, and Elsinore Grand Prix.

Death: The Untimely Fall of an Icon

Unfortunately, in 1978, McQueen developed a persistent cough and shortness of breath. After filming his final project, The Hunter, McQueen was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer often linked to asbestos exposure. McQueen tied his illness to direct exposure during his time in the Marines, as well as exposure through vintage helmets and race suits. 

After a series of experimental and costly treatments, including a lengthy and ill-advised procedure to remove several large tumors to slow the cancer’s development, McQueen passed in his sleep while recovering from the operation at the age of 50.

Iconic Rides

Throughout McQueen’s acting career, he piloted several iconic vehicles and established a sizable collection, including several vintage motorcycles, fast cars, and souped-up pickups.

Bullitt 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390

Though Steve McQueen never owned the vehicle himself, the vehicle that’s most tied to McQueen is the Dark Highland Green 1968 Mustang GT 390 used in the 1968 film Bullitt. This classic Mustang featured a unique black pony-less grille, American Racing torque-thrust Magnesium wheels, a 390-cubic inch V8 pumping out 320 horsepower and 427 lb-ft of torque, and a Borg Warner T-10 heavy-duty transmission. 

After filming, the car was purchased in the early 1970s by Mr. Bob Kiernan, who drove the car daily for some years. During this time, McQueen routinely sent letters to the family attempting to purchase the car, to which the family declined. The Mustang was later inherited by Bob Kiernan’s son, Sean, who mechanically restored the car before listing it on auction in 2020, where it sold for a staggering $3.4 million!

Le Mans 1970 Porsche 911S

The opening scene to Le Mans showcases Michael Delaney, played by McQueen, racing through the French countryside in a sleek, slate-gray 1970 Porsche 911S. McQueen has such an affinity for the car that he purchased it after filming to add to his Los Angeles collection, alongside a nearly-identical 1969 model. After a few years, McQueen sold the 1970, after which it passed through several hands in the California area, including a prominent lawyer and a judge, before finding its current home in a sizable Porsche collection.

1952 Chevrolet 3800 Camper Truck

Though not a screen-used vehicle, McQueen’s 1952 Chevrolet 3800 Camper Truck is a unique and stylish addition to his once-large fleet. The pickup was purchased by McQueen in 1974, which then took him on multiple cross-country travels with its custom California-manufactured camper. The pickup also holds a prominent, albeit morbid, place in McQueen’s history, seeing as the vehicle was one of the last that McQueen ever piloted in the States. In 1980, he, alongside Reverend Billy Graham, journeyed to the airport for a flight to Mexico to receive the surgery that ended McQueen's life.  

The pickup was originally sold at the McQueen estate sale in 1984, alongside a certificate of authenticity from McQueen’s children. In 2016, the pickup sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction, still sporting the original camper setup.

Legacy

Though troubled in his early years, Steve McQueen led a legendary life on and off the silver screen. His Hollywood performances helped to change the perception of the leading man, shifting focus to the darker, anti-hero archetypes often seen in the following decades. 

Following McQueen’s death, “The King of Cool” has been cited routinely as the personification of counterculture and a true icon in the automotive community. Even today, McQueen is recognized as the ultimate American icon. The actor has been given several posthumous awards and honors, including introductions into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the Hall of Great Western Performers, and the Warren Zevon Tribute Award by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.   

Steve McQueen is nothing short of a legend, with a legacy as large as his on and off-screen persona. And, undoubtedly, most enthusiasts, myself included, can’t help but cite his iconic chase sequence behind the wheel of a Highland Green pony as a kick-starter for our never-ending enthusiasm for anything on four wheels.