Steve McQueen’s stunt car from his final film The Hunter is going under the hammer for a surprising low price – but there’s a very good reason why

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.

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 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.