1976 Porsche 930, originally ordered by Steve McQueen. Photos by David Newhardt, courtesy Mecum Auctions, unless otherwise noted.

Steve McQueen had a passion for fast cars and a love of Porsche automobiles, so when the German automaker announced a range-topping 911 Turbo Carrera model (internal name, Porsche 930), the star wasted little time in placing his order. Described as the last automobile special-ordered by McQueen before his 1980 death, the Slate Gray 1976 Porsche 930 crossed the block in Monterey last Saturday, selling for $1.95 million with part of the proceeds going to charity. 

The 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera came standard with a 3.0-liter, horizontally opposed and air-cooled six-cylinder engine, rated at 234 horsepower in U.S. trim. While normally aspirated 911 models could be ordered with a five-speed manual transmission, early 930s came only with four-speed manual transmissions. Performance was spectacular for the day, with the run from 0-60 MPH taking less than 5.5 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 155 MPH. 

McQueen’s car, chassis 9306800408, was ordered with a sunroof, dual mirrors, black sport seats and a limited slip differential. Upon delivery, its stock wheels (seven-inches wide in front, eight-inches wide in rear) were swapped for one-inch wider versions in all corners, and a manual switch was added to deactivate the rear lights in case the car’s under-the-radar hue wasn’t enough to escape detection.