Steve McQueen's 1976 Porsche 930 sells for $1.95 million in Monterey

1976 Porsche 930, originally ordered by Steve McQueen. Photos by David Newhardt, courtesy Mecum Auctions, unless otherwise noted.

Steve McQueen had a passion for fast cars and a love of Porsche automobiles, so when the German automaker announced a range-topping 911 Turbo Carrera model (internal name, Porsche 930), the star wasted little time in placing his order. Described as the last automobile special-ordered by McQueen before his 1980 death, the Slate Gray 1976 Porsche 930 crossed the block in Monterey last Saturday, selling for $1.95 million with part of the proceeds going to charity.

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The 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera came standard with a 3.0-liter, horizontally opposed and air-cooled six-cylinder engine, rated at 234 horsepower in U.S. trim. While normally aspirated 911 models could be ordered with a five-speed manual transmission, early 930s came only with four-speed manual transmissions. Performance was spectacular for the day, with the run from 0-60 MPH taking less than 5.5 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 155 MPH. 

McQueen’s car, chassis 9306800408, was ordered with a sunroof, dual mirrors, black sport seats and a limited slip differential. Upon delivery, its stock wheels (seven-inches wide in front, eight-inches wide in rear) were swapped for one-inch wider versions in all corners, and a manual switch was added to deactivate the rear lights in case the car’s under-the-radar hue wasn’t enough to escape detection.

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Steve McQueen apparently wasn’t the only family member enamored with the car. Chad McQueen recalls being caught behind the wheel, at age 15, practicing turns in the neighborhood. As Chad explained, locking eyes with his dad prompted him to come off the throttle mid-corner, which gave him a new understanding of the phrase lift-throttle-oversteer. Fortunately, neither Chad nor the car suffered any damage.