Was Steve McQueen a Top Driver?
Discussion
Matty3 said:
Off next week to a private showing of Le Mans (1971) which I confess have not seen for a few decades 
- but looking through certain websites suggest that S McQ was not perhaps as good a driver as history/legend suggests ??
My all time cinema hero btw - but was he a top driver?
Once you've rewatched it you should find 'The Man and Le Mans', a feature documentary made a few years ago about the making of the film, and featuring quite a bit of unused footage. (Confession - I shot some stills on the production, and get my name in the credits - but looking through certain websites suggest that S McQ was not perhaps as good a driver as history/legend suggests ??My all time cinema hero btw
- but was he a top driver?
)tog said:
Matty3 said:
Off next week to a private showing of Le Mans (1971) which I confess have not seen for a few decades - but looking through certain websites suggest that S McQ was not perhaps as good a driver as history/legend suggests ??
My all time cinema hero btw - but was he a top driver?
Once you've rewatched it you should find 'The Man and Le Mans', a feature documentary made a few years ago about the making of the film, and featuring quite a bit of unused footage. (Confession - I shot some stills on the production, and get my name in the credits - but looking through certain websites suggest that S McQ was not perhaps as good a driver as history/legend suggests ??My all time cinema hero btw
- but was he a top driver? )
loads of great photos and detail about the making of the film.
Jackie Stewart was complimentary of his driving when he was still racing in his sixties. That’s good enough for me.
Behind the Wheel with Jackie Stewart.
https://youtu.be/IZw7ZnxWKjs
Behind the Wheel with Jackie Stewart.
https://youtu.be/IZw7ZnxWKjs
Colin RedGriff said:
Jackie Stewart was complimentary of his driving when he was still racing in his sixties. That’s good enough for me.
So was Derek Bell, who was involved in the filming of LeMans.He was obviously not a 'top driver' when compared with the pro drivers of the period, that would be a silly comparison, but, he was a pretty handy amatuer racer and could peddle cars and bikes and in his final years, aeroplanes pretty well.
Would have been interesting to have seen McQueen and his fellow petrolhead mate (and neighbour) James Garner in a race in identical cars with fellow not bad amatuer racer Paul Newman to see who came out on top.
Pericoloso said:
Just read his Wiki.
Drove one race in the BTCC ,or BSCC then ,in 1961 in a Mini ,finishing 3rd.
Although the infamous ,failed ,fence jump, in the Great Escape ,wasn't him ,it also says he rode many of the bike scenes ,including one where
he rode a German bike chasing himself.....
I think he stayed with Sir John Whitmore whilst filming the Great Escape. He raced John's A40 at Oulton Park in Sept 61 and also raced at Brands Hatch Oct 61. Drove one race in the BTCC ,or BSCC then ,in 1961 in a Mini ,finishing 3rd.
Although the infamous ,failed ,fence jump, in the Great Escape ,wasn't him ,it also says he rode many of the bike scenes ,including one where
he rode a German bike chasing himself.....
Rob
Pericoloso said:
Just read his Wiki.
Drove one race in the BTCC ,or BSCC then ,in 1961 in a Mini ,finishing 3rd.
Although the infamous ,failed ,fence jump, in the Great Escape ,wasn't him ,it also says he rode many of the bike scenes ,including one where
he rode a German bike chasing himself.....
I think he stayed with Sir John Whitmore whilst filming the Great Escape. He raced John's A40 at Oulton Park in Sept 61 and also raced at Brands Hatch Oct 61. Drove one race in the BTCC ,or BSCC then ,in 1961 in a Mini ,finishing 3rd.
Although the infamous ,failed ,fence jump, in the Great Escape ,wasn't him ,it also says he rode many of the bike scenes ,including one where
he rode a German bike chasing himself.....
Rob
RobMk2a said:
Pericoloso said:
Just read his Wiki.
Drove one race in the BTCC ,or BSCC then ,in 1961 in a Mini ,finishing 3rd.
Although the infamous ,failed ,fence jump, in the Great Escape ,wasn't him ,it also says he rode many of the bike scenes ,including one where
he rode a German bike chasing himself.....
I think he stayed with Sir John Whitmore whilst filming the Great Escape. He raced John's A40 at Oulton Park in Sept 61 and also raced at Brands Hatch Oct 61. Drove one race in the BTCC ,or BSCC then ,in 1961 in a Mini ,finishing 3rd.
Although the infamous ,failed ,fence jump, in the Great Escape ,wasn't him ,it also says he rode many of the bike scenes ,including one where
he rode a German bike chasing himself.....
Rob
When he competed in the Mini here in '61 it was while filming The War Lover movie (shot at Shepperton Studios, and on location at RAF Bovingdon and in around Cambridge), and I thought I'd read that he stayed at John Cooper's during this time...?
I couldn't count the hours I spent tracking down the opening sequence places while working on the film "The Man and Le Mans" and I never did find the bridge on that windy road so substituted for another, but I was pleased to find the bridge and the village. Of course, a lot of the opening sequences were filmed in places that no longer exist. The Porsche through the plane tree you can still do, being the route to Tours just south of Mulsanne corner.
Maybe not top but accomplished. I remember david piper said once that, whilst filming he was in the middle of 3 cars in a 917, and they took one corner far quicker then they had before (white house??). Mcqueen couldnt lift or brake due to the closeness so he had to keep his thdottle open.
He made it, but his face was very white afterwards!!!
He made it, but his face was very white afterwards!!!
I can't remember which racing driver said it, but apparently James Garner was the most naturally talented of the Hollywood pedallers & whoever it was I'm thinking of said he had the talent to make it to the sharp end as a professional racing driver.
You can't deny Paul Newman his second place in the '79 Le Mans - so he was evidently a good partner for Rolf Stommelen & Dick Barbour.
You can't deny Paul Newman his second place in the '79 Le Mans - so he was evidently a good partner for Rolf Stommelen & Dick Barbour.
Mario Andretti gave him the middle finger, because (Le Mans race?) his co and professional driver did most of the driving. I remember the Mario Andretti bit more than the actual details, from a Motorsport interview.
I think he was a good driver, but a pro driver was always going to be better and harder to beat.
I think he was a good driver, but a pro driver was always going to be better and harder to beat.
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