Steve McQueen’s Camper Goes To Auction, Played Interesting Role In His Death

Steve McQueen’s camper van will go to auction Friday. That might not sound like much to anyone aside from only the most hardcore Bullitt fans, but the van is notable as the last set of wheels the iconic actor rode in before his death in 1980.

Apart from his acting career, McQueen was an avid motorist. His wife, Barbara Minty McQueen, recalled that he bought the 1952 Chevrolet 3800 pickup camper conversion on a whim, much like other vehicles he had acquired.

“I remember one time we drove past a migrant farm worker who had this bitchin’ old truck, and Steve turned the car around and wrote him a check on the spot,” said Barbara, according to the listing.

“He bought a plane or two that way, too.”

Steve McQueen’s camper has an inline-six with four-speed transmission and a one-off aluminum sleeper section. It also has a double-sided bed and tons of storage. It might not look like much, but if you’d bought it you could occupy some of the same space that McQueen did in his final days before succumbing to cancer.

What’s more, the Chevy actually shepherded McQueen to the airport for a flight to Mexico for what ended up being his last surgery before death. Another fun fact: He rode in the camper with the famous Reverend Billy Graham, and the two talked about the afterlife on the way.

He died four days later on November 7, 1980.

If you want it, you better check out Mecum’s Celebrity Items Auction in Santa Monica this weekend. The camper joins other awesome stuff like Frank Sinatra’s Jaguar XJS, Elvis Presley’s ’72 Cadillac Custom Estate Wagon, Indiana Jones’ whip, John Lennon’s sunglasses, and a knit bikini worn by Jessica Alba.

How much would you pay for Steve McQueen’s camper?