Michael SatterfieldI didn’t expect to see Steve McQueen’s Baja Boot:
I had been invited out to the Thermal Club, near Rancho Mirage, to see James Glickenhaus’ new SCG 003 supercar, which was set to take on the world of endurance racing. I had arrived a little early and was hoping to speak to the eccentric movie producer, director, and car collector, who was looking over the reports from the last round of SCG 003 test laps. One of the public relations team was about to introduce me when an automotive YouTube showed up; she was quickly rushed past me and introduced to James, and it was far too early for YouTube energy, so I went over and sat next to Chad McQueen and we chatted about the Baja Boot over a cup of coffee.
While the SCG 003 was the reason I had been invited out, to me, it was just another fragile hypercar that most people don’t even know exists. But parked in the paddock, over by the coffee, was something very, very interesting… Steve McQueen’s Baja Boo,t and sitting nearby was a familiar face, Steve McQueen’s son Chad. I had met Chad a few times around Los Angeles, mostly at automotive events. He is in his standard uniform, Persol sunglasses, and a Porsche racing jacket. I asked him about the Baja Boot, and he shared a few memories of it, but he reminded me that he was just 8 or 9 when his dad raced it. He and most of the crew headed over to look at the SCG 003 that was starting up again.
Glickenhaus purchased the Baja Boot in 2010 by placing the high bid of $199,500 at Monterey Car Week’s Pebble Beach Auction. I was especially excited to see the Baja Boot because the following day, I would be driving down to Ensenada to take part in a four-day Baja Racing adventure myself. Just by a stroke of luck, I was standing in front of one of the most iconic Baja race cars from the ’60s and ’70s.
The Inspiration for the Baja Boot
In 1967, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) announced it would run the first-ever Mexican 1000 (now known as the Baja 1000) on October 31, 1967. This announcement got the attention of Vic Hickey, who worked for GM developing several off-road vehicles. Hickey would go on to be part of the development team behind the Lunar Rover and the Humvee. But for this 1000-mile challenge, Hickey wanted to build the first mid-engined, purpose-built, off-road supercar.
With the help of Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Drino Miller and with the backing of Hurst Shifters, Hickey started working on the Baja Boot at GMs Detroit “Skunkworks.” But GM had a strict “no racing” policy so the team moved to the Hurst garage and completed it in just 26 days. Drino Miller and Al Napp would take the vehicle to the starting line, but the car would not finish the first Mexican 1000 due to a blown transmission just 300 miles into the race.
Steve McQueen and his good friend Bud Ekins saw potential in the Baja Boot design and McQueen’s company purchased both Baja Boot prototypes from Vic Hickey. In promoting his appearance with the Boot at the 1968 Stardust 7-11, he said, “I’ve lined me up a sweet machine for this one. Called the ‘Baja Boot.’ Chevy-powered. Four hundred and fifty horses under the bonnet. Space frame construction. Four-wheel drive. Independent suspension. And ‘smooth’! I can notch close to a hundred over a sand wash, and you better believe that’s moving.”
The cars, racing under the Solar Plastics Engineering livery, McQueen was making good headway in the race when a wheel came loose, in the book McQueen’s Machines the actor is quoted as saying “We were really battin’ along, feeling good about the car and our chances with it, when we see this big fat wheel rolling along beside us!” The 1969 Mexican 1000 attempt resulted in a “Did Not Finish” for McQueen again due to another transmission failure.
Baja Boot Wins
The Baja Boot would see its first win in 1969 at the Baja 500 with Bud Ekins behind the wheel. The Baja Boot would go on to race in major off-road events until 1984. Glickenhaus would launch a modern production version of the Baja Boot in 2020, with a price tag of around $250,000. The new Boot isn’t just a fun retro throwback; it is a serious off-road racing machine that won the Class 2 race in the 2020 Baja 1000, beating the factory-backed Ford Bronco R by over five hours. What makes it even more impressive is that the team drives the street-legal Boot from their home office in Danbury, Connecticut, to the starting line in Ensenada. I think Steve would love the new Baja Boot!
For my adventure in Baja, I will be in a Baja Challenge Car, which is a lot less expensive but just as fun to drive. But for those four days, I will be getting a feel of what it was like in those early days of racing across Mexico, with all of the dust and none of the glory.
