Steve McQueen Gave This 1970 Jaguar E-Type to a Chef on the Set of ‘Le Mans.’ Now It’s up for Grabs.

The King of Cool gave Fredy Zurbrügg the car during filming, and the chef has owned it ever since.

Classic car enthusiasts will soon be able to own a vehicle fit for the screen—or at least the backlot. A 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series II roadster that appeared on the set of the classic Steve McQueen film Le Mans is going up for auction.

The 4.2-liter Jaguar is estimated to fetch between $308,000 and $431,000. It’s being offered in its completely original condition at Bonhams Monaco Sale, which apropos enough, is occurring during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The Swiss-registered vehicle was built to US specifications and has retained its neutral silver-and-black color scheme.

A peek inside the roadster  Bonhams

The current owner is Fredy Zurbrügg, and it’s his story that really makes the car stand out. In the early ’70s, Zurbrügg was working as a chef on movie sets when he was asked by a production manager to join the on-location crew of Le Mans. In the 2017 book Our Le Mans, about the film, he noted that his encounters with McQueen were friendly, and he even invented a special meal for the actor, called the “Steve steak.”

At one point, McQueen offered a gift to Zurbrügg, allowing him to choose among a few different cars. The chef couldn’t drive at the time, but that didn’t stop him from accepting the actor’s gracious offer.

“I decided on the silver Jaguar, a convertible E-Type Series II with only 600 miles on the speedo,” he recalled. “It was a US version because it was supposed to be shipped back to America.”

The 1970 Jaguar on the set of Le Mans  Bonhams

Zurbrügg did eventually get his driver’s license, adding a few thousand miles to the Jag. But its odometer still sits at fewer than 46,000 miles, a relatively low number considering the car is more than 50 years old.

“For many years I had no idea that I owned something so valuable,” Zurbrügg said in a statement.

Nobody else has owned the car in the intervening years, so its new owner will have a pretty direct link to Hollywood history.

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