Legends: Steve McQueen

Long before he became the highest paid and most popular movie star of the 1960s and 1970s, Steve McQueen was a racer at heart. In fact, his ability to act and race often mixed on the silver screen. A quarter century after his death at age 50 of lung cancer, the fast-driving McQueen is still larger than life mainly because so few lived it as fast and furious as he did.

His impact on the movie and automotive scene can be counted in the number of vehicles he owned — 265 before his estate was auctioned off in 1984 — and the influence he left on both worlds. McQueen was a movie legend, but he was also the last of the legitimate American muscle-car icons. Acting wouldn’t come easily, but it would eventually find him. An actress McQueen was dating suggested he try the stage. After giving it a go, he was accepted into the Neighborhood Playhouse, a famous New York acting school. Driving a postal truck at nights and acting during the day, McQueen finally found a home. One play led to another that led to a TV part in Los Angeles in the series Wanted: Dead or Alive. Bigger roles followed. McQueen added sizzle to the 1968 Mustang (right) in the Hollywood hit “Bullitt,” making for one of the most thrilling car chases to ever take place on the silver screen. McQueen added adrenaline to the movie “LeMans” while competing in a special race-prepared number 20 Porsche (above). He loved anything mechanical, but especially loved motorcycles and cars. And he professionally raced both, at one point considering a move to take up the sport full-time and leave acting in the dust. When he died, McQueen owned 210 motorcycles, 55 cars and five airplanes. He even owned a Jaguar XK-SS, a limited-edition touring version of the D-type Jaguar that won the 24 Hours of the LeMans (France) endurance race from 1955-’57 (top).