The Meyers Manx dune buggy McQueen caroused in for the 1968 filmThe Thomas Crown Affair went for a much more reasonable $456,000; well, reasonable for a McQueen-driven vehicle, not so much for aVolkswagen -based car with no roof. But anything associated with the late actor – Hollywood’s certified King of Cool and a noted speed freak – commands a high premium.
The Meyers Manx was a kit car, a fiberglass body meant to be used with a shortened VW Beetle chassis and engine. But this particular model was customized at the behest of McQueen for the film, and originally featured a 2.7-litre flat-six from aChevrolet Corvair, along with recessed headlights and a quilted cabin. Oh, and two levers to brake either the left or right rear tires for trick driving.
After filming, it was sold to a car dealer in Hawaii, who ditched the Corvair engine for a race-modified VW kit. It was later sold to its last owner, and two decades later it underwent a complete restoration, including a return to the Corvair engine. Every attempt to keep and restore every original part was made, and even the original paint was uncovered to find a suitable match.
According to Bonhams, this may be the last car tied to McQueen that will go on sale for a long time, as most others are in long-term collections.
*Images courtesy of Bonhams
