“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. Independant suspension. And ‘smooth’! I can notch close to a hundred over a sand wash and you better believe that’s moving.” – Steve McQueen


Created by the a gentleman by the name of Vic Hickey with the assistance of Hurst racing, the Baja Boot was born on GM’s special proving grounds under the approving eye of Ed Cole. Powered by a massaged version of the 350 cid smallbock, the tube-framed Boot combined a pos-traction rear end with Corvette differentials and a Hydra-Matic 400 transmission. Bud Ekins and Steve McQueen purchased the Boot in 1967, and McQueen took the wheel for the ’68 Stardust 7-11 desert race held near Las Vegas. Mid-race, a wheel liberated itself from the axle, ending the Boot’s contention for the Stardust, but Ekins drove it to an overall win at the Baja 500 the next year.

So if you have a hankering to pull on a turtleneck sweater and live out your McQueen fantasies by blasting around the desert in a bespoke offroad buggy developed by the dude that later designed the HUMVEE, then get yourself over to the Gooding tent at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. And fish in the couch for somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 in spare change. And if you want more information on the Baja Buggy and photos of the MAN himself in it, head over to blazeofgloryoffroad.com and coldtrackdays.blogspot.com.
Gooding Company Auctioneers