TGR Staff
Steve McQueen’s Baja Race Truck
This historically significant pickup was once owned by actor Steve McQueen and brought to life by designer and motoring visionary Vic Hickey, who helped create important vehicles such as the Chevrolet Blazer, the Humvee, the Lunar Rover, and the legendary Baja Boot. This 1969 off-road race truck was a continuation of Hickey’s design prowess. It has a C10 chassis with a C30 one-ton cab.
The vehicle made its debut in the inaugural Baja 1000 in 1968. Over its racing career, it was driven by racing legends Cliff Coleman, Bud Ekins, Johhny Dias, Mickey Thompson, and Chuck Coye. It was sold in 1970 to McQueen as one of the package deals for a group of race cars he bought from General Motors.
McQueen held onto the Chevy truck until 1972 – the same year he divorced his first wife, Neile. Their parting forced the couple to divide their assets and sell their spacious 5,560-square-foot Brentwood, California abode. The Mediterranean-style home – dubbed “The Castle” by McQueen – boasted a large carport for McQueen’s extensive car collection. Upon his divorce, McQueen sold most of his cars or found homes for them. He sold the Chevy truck to Joe Metcalf, a Hickey employee. From there the Chevy spent many years as a farm vehicle in Alturas, California, until it was discovered by an off-road enthusiast in the 1990s.
McQueen raced four-wheeled off-road vehicles as well as motorcycles and drove many of Vic Hickey’s specialty vehicles, including the Baja Boot in the 1968 Stardust. Hickey once said of the superstar, “Steve McQueen was a good driver, and he was tough, came out of that boys school in Chino.”
