Porsche
917K chassis 917-022 (Le Mans film car, Gulf No. 20)

Why it matters

917-022 is the Porsche that carries Steve McQueen's fictional driver Michael Delaney in the film Le Mans, and the car McQueen himself drove for stunt and in-car shots. Bought new from the factory for the production, it combines a starring film role with a later racing career and remains one of the most valuable Porsches in existence.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

McQueen's Solar Productions bought 917-022 new from Porsche in 1970 for Le Mans. Painted in Gulf colours as No. 20, it was Delaney's car at the start of the film's race; camera brackets were attached to its frame for in-car filming, while crash scenes used a Lola T70 disguised as a 917.

In 1971 Reinhold Joest acquired the car and raced it with Team Auto Usdau, with drivers including Willi Kauhsen and Jo Siffert. Brian Redman owned it from 1975 and Richard Attwood later ran it in historic events before selling it in 1999. Offered at Mecum Kissimmee in January 2025, it did not sell under the hammer and was sold privately afterwards.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Iconic Le Mans Porsche 917K Driven by Steve McQueen @ Mecum Kissimmee (Racecar) Level C

   • 1 917K bought new by Solar Productions as the film's hero car

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Verkauft: Porsche 917-022 aus "Le Mans" und Seinfeld-Sammlung Level C auto motor und sport · 2025-03-07

   • sold after the 2025 auction

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   Steve McQueen Porsche 917K auction feature (chassis 917-022) Level B Motor1

   • original, matching-numbers Type 912 4494cc DOHC air-cooled 180-degree V-12
   • 88mm bore and 66mm stroke
   • a 10.5:1 compression ratio
   • 4494cc DOHC air-cooled 180-degree V-12
   • Bosch mechanical fuel injection

   Accessed 2026-11-12
4. 4
   Iconic Le Mans Porsche 917K Driven by Steve McQueen @ Mecum Kissimmee Level C Racecar (Racecar New Media Services) · 2025-01-03

   • 180-Degree V-12
   • 4494cc
   • 580 BHP at 8,400 RPM
   • 366 lb-ft at 6,800 RPM
   • 4-speed all-synchromesh manual transaxle
   • 4-speed

   Accessed 2026-11-12
5. 5
   1970 Porsche 917 K, chassis 917-031/026 (Monterey 2021, lot 8) Level C RM Sotheby's

   • the unmistakable symphony of the flat-12-cylinder

   Accessed 2026-11-12