- After nearly forty years in a barn, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is not in very good health
- You can still see the scars from being involved in an explosive scene from the 1980 film.
- Due to its Hollywood fame, it is expected to be sold to the highest bidder.
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A classic car driven by Steve McQueen in his latest film is on sale for just over $6,000 – but there’s a very good reason the price is so low.
The 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was used as a stunt vehicle in the late actor’s final film, the 1980 action thriller “The Hunter.”
The car remained in the Pontiac Motor Division’s show car fleet after assembly in November 1978 before being sold to Paramount Pictures a year later – where it was used in the film.
It is one of two cars used for an explosion scene and was given to an Illinois farmer as compensation for helping the crew in the film’s production.
It remained on the farm in a barn for almost 40 years and – as you would expect – has certainly seen better days.
The famous vehicle isn’t in quite the same condition as the one in the 1980s film The Hunter.
Steve McQueen died of lung cancer in 1980, the same year that the film The Hunter was released.
Believed to be the only remaining Firebird from the film, it was eventually collected by the current owner in 2018 and displayed at several car shows across the United States.
The vehicle underwent modifications for use in the film, being repainted from blue to black and being stripped of its rear spoiler, side mirrors, wheel covers and badge by the film crew once filming was completed. finished.
Several body panels are also missing from the exterior.
Inside, the seats appear to be in relatively good condition, but the steering wheel is rather worn and the burns on the passenger side are still visible from the explosion on the set.
The listing also describes the back seat as having been “damaged by rodents,” while rust has penetrated through the metal along the floor.
The Hunter’s famous Pontiac Firebird Trans Am has not aged gracefully at all
The car was left in a barn for almost 40 years and is now badly worn and damaged.
Its parts are covered in rust after sitting in the farmer’s barn for nearly four decades
The steering wheel survived McQueen’s dramatic turns but could not survive the arrow of time
Somehow, even after almost 40 years in the barn, the seats still appear to be in good shape.
Other damage includes a dented roof, cracked windshield, missing door and no hood.
As with the seats, the inside of the door still appears to be in good condition, with very little wear.
Parts of the vehicle’s interior are moldy and rotten and appear to be decaying
The perfectly good car in The Hunter with McQueen about to drive somewhat recklessly
The car was put through numerous tests on the set of The Hunter as McQueen drove it to its limits.
He was given some time to rest in a field in the film – a taste of the stationery existence he had in store for him
The auction for the car is expected to close on March 20 in Arizona, with the current bidding at $6,579 (£5,183) at the time of publication.
In addition to owning a slice of cinema history, the winning bidder will also receive two cardboard cutouts of the late star and a “correspondence” from Paramount Pictures and Pontiac Historical Services.