First released on June 23, 1971, Le Mans is unquestionably one of the most celebrated racing films of all time, famously shot during the actual 1970 running of the grueling 24-hour endurance race and praised for its authenticity and legitimately stellar wheel-to-wheel footage. Almost exactly 50-years after the movie’s debut, one of the competition-used, film-featured auto racing helmets from the 1971 flick has hit the online auction block.
The 1968 full-face Bell TopTex helmet was made for Fred Haltiner’s character, Porsche 917 pilot, “Johann Ritter,” though was also at times worn by the King of Cool himself (as evidenced by a photo of McQueen wearing the lid that’s included with the sale, along with an original pair of race gloves). After filming ended, the helmet was signed by 13 members of the production along with some other motorsport icons such as Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Jackie Ickx, Hans Herrmann, Herbert Linge, Luc Merenda, and Don Nunley (the film’s prop man as well as McQueen’s personal bodyguard), just to name a few. Available through Live Auctioneers, this Steve McQueen-Worn Le Mans Movie Crash Helmet is expected to fetch between $21,000 and 43,000. To check out the listing or to place a bid, you can visit the link below.
