Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this Ex-Steve McQueen 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe Convertible.
Steve McQueen had a storied career on the silver screen. Beginning in 1953 (and for over 25 years) he appeared in a variety of popular productions. By 1974, he was the highest-paid movie star in the world. And though his life was cut short due to health struggles at a relatively young age, McQueen’s legacy lives on as one of the most influential and legendary personalities in car culture. This Styleline occupied a spot in McQueen’s personal collection until the time of his death in 1980. It is now being offered by a dealer in Gladstone, Oregon, and the auction ends on Monday, October 23.
Most people will quickly associate McQueen with Ford Mustangs, thanks to his involvement with the action-packed and popular 1968 film “Bullitt.” However, many will be interested to know that McQueen was also a Chevrolet guy. A dozen years after Bullitt was released, McQueen starred in a film called “The Hunter” in which he was seen driving around in a yellow Styleline Deluxe convertible – this very car, to be precise.
Following its release in August 1980, The Hunter went on to gross $16.3 million at the box office. While some critics have stated that the film was not McQueen’s best picture, the Chevrolet that he drove on-screen must have made a lasting impression on the actor because he later went on to buy it for his personal collection. “The Hunter” would be McQueen’s last film, as he unfortunately passed away at age 50, just three months after its premiere.
As for the special Styleline, this Moonlight Cream convertible comes with paperwork and documentation that supports its provenance. It changed hands at an auction in 1984 at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas and was subsequently owned by Rick Harrison of the TV Show “Pawn Stars.” After spending time in a private collection in Arizona, the car made its way to Oregon where it resides today.
While not nearly as flashy as the muscle-car Mustang that McQueen flexed in his prior film, the “Moonlight Cream” Styleline has a charm all its own. After World War II, all Chevrolet models received new exterior design in 1949. The model lineup was changed in 1950 to include the new Bel Air, and Chevrolet cars could be ordered in coupe, convertible, sedan, or station wagon configurations. This car was assembled as a drop-top, and its 235cid inline-six is mated to a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission. The selling dealer states that the 65,132 indicated miles are believed true and original.
This Styleline holds special significance, not only for its on-screen provenance, but also for its celebrity ownership. It is a tangible piece of collector memorabilia that is worthy of the garage or museum of any McQueen fans. Opportunities like this don’t come along very frequently.
The auction for this 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe ends Monday, October 23, 2023, at 11:45 a.m. (PDT)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery
