Steve McQueen’s First New Car: The 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster and Its Racing Legacy

This article explores the history of Steve McQueen’s 1958 Porsche 356 A 1600 Super Speedster, a car widely regarded as the first brand-new vehicle the actor ever purchased and a key milestone in his transition into professional motorsports. McQueen acquired the black-on-black Speedster in late 1958 from a dealership in Alhambra, California, while his acting career was rising through the TV series “Tales of Wells Fargo.” The vehicle was specially configured with a 1600cc Super engine producing around 75 horsepower, along with rare Rudge knock-off racing wheels and a cigarette lighter mounted on the steering column. McQueen also modified the car by removing exterior badges to achieve a cleaner appearance. The Porsche became central to McQueen’s early racing career. In May 1959, he entered his first official Sports Car Club of America race in Santa Barbara, where he won his class against a large field of novice drivers. He continued to race the Speedster throughout 1959 at prominent American tracks such as Del Mar, Willow Springs, and Laguna Seca, marking his successful shift from motorcycle racing to sports car competition. The article also highlights the car’s unique ownership history. As McQueen’s fame grew in the late 1960s, he sold the Porsche to collector Bruce Meyer, later regretting the decision and attempting to repurchase it for years. In 1974, Meyer sold it back to McQueen for approximately the same price he had originally paid. McQueen confirmed its authenticity by identifying personal modifications he had made decades earlier. The Speedster remained with him until his death in 1980 and is now preserved by his son, Chad McQueen, symbolizing both his racing passion and personal legacy.