McQueen Cars Add Hollywood Glamor To RM's Highly Anticipated Monterey Sale

The world's largest collector car auction house presents a star-studded cast of automobiles at its Monterey sale, August 17-18 in California

BLENHEIM, ON--Aug. 13, 2012: RM Auctions, the world's largest collector car auction house for investment-quality automobiles, will lift the gavel on an exciting series of celebrity vehicles at its highly anticipated Monterey, California sale this week ( August 17--18).

Headlining entries boasting celebrity provenance are no less than four vehicles linked to the "King of Cool," Steve McQueen, including a multi-million-dollar 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/ Mirage Lightweight Racing Car . Leased by McQueen's film company, Solar Productions, in 1970, the competition-bred GT40 was used extensively as the camera car in McQueen's epic Hollywood film Le Mans. Also featured in the same movie and set for RM's auction spotlight is a 1956 Fiat Series 306/2 Grand Prix Transporter. Commissioned by the Maserati Grand Prix team, it was subsequently used by both Lance Reventlow's and Carroll Shelby's race teams before earning a supporting role in Le Mans. The Fiat hauler played three roles in the movie: team transporter for Ferrari, Renault/Mirage, and Porsche.

Other auction lots boasting McQueen provenance include a 1961 Cooper T-56 Mark II Formula Junior Racing Car , owned and successfully raced by McQueen in California in 1962, and an unrestored, extremely well-documented 1953 Hudson Hornet Sedan ,which was in McQueen's possession at the time of his passing in 1980.

Another "star" attraction with top-billing for the RM sale is a coveted 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 14-Louver 'Tour de France' that enjoyed a memorable Hollywood turn in the 1960s. Exceptionally rare--it is the first 14-louver Tour de France of just nine examples built--the stunning Tour de France competed in some of the world's most prestigious events before coming into the possession of Walt Disney Studios. It then co-starred in the 1966 classic The Love Bug alongside "Herbie," the racing VW Beetle with a soul. The catalogue also includes a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra ,which also enjoyed a brief Hollywood spin in the sixties. Rented by MGM British Studios in early-1966, it was used as a camera car and appeared in many scenes of the hit Formula One film Grand Prix, starring James Garner.

A tradition spanning more than 25 years, RM's Monterey sale is held during the famous Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance motoring week. In total, the two-day sale will lift the gavel on 120 blue-chip automobiles before a global audience. For full event details, including RM's digital Monterey catalogue and feature videos, visit RM Auctions or call +1 519 352 4575.