Editor’s note: Late in 2017, the stunt car used in the movie Bullitt was discovered in Mexico. Earlier this year, the ownership of the Bullitt hero car was revealed. Now, the presence of another McQueen movie vehicle — from his final film — has come back into the limelight.
Steve McQueen’s final movie was “The Hunter,” a 1980 release in which he portrayed real-life bounty hunter Ralph “Papa” Thorson. Eli Wallach and LeVar Burton and Kathryn Harrold also had significant roles in the film.
In one of the movie’s scenes, McQueen flies into Nebraska, rents a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and heads out in pursuit of Branch brothers, Luke and Matthew. As McQueen searches for them on a farm, they steal the Trans Am, try to run him down and then plow their way through a field of corn.
McQueen sets out after them in a combine — a large farm implement with front-mounted rotating knife-like cutter bars. The fast and nimble Pontiac and the slow-moving but monstrous Massey Ferguson make for one of the more unlikely car chases in movie history. The chase ends when the brothers, fleeing the combine, run over their own stick of dynamite, sustaining injuries and all but destroying the Trans Am.
The Trans Am emerges from the barn where it was stored after the filming
McQueen autographed a photo for his ‘family’
“This is where our story begins,” says the classic car dealership in Houston that is advertising the movie-used Trans Am on ClassicCars.com.
The car/combine chase was shot on a farm in Manteno, Illinois, south of Chicago.
“The stunt crew, the cast and the film crew were staying at the Holiday Inn in Bradley, Illinois,” the advertisement continues. “The citizens of the greater Kankakee area, including a local farmer, Harold McQueen were following around the cast and crew to the different filming locations. Harold became friendly with the stunt and film cast and crew and he was invited to join them, for several meals as he really got to know them. Someone on the production crew asked if anyone had a truck and trailer, that could haul the Trans Am down to Kankakee. Harold stepped up and said he could do it.
“Harold and his family had always loved Steve McQueen and his movies. In fact, they loved them so much that they jokingly started calling him Uncle Steve, even though they were not directly related. When Harold finally had the opportunity to meet Steve McQueen, Steve made the comment that all the McQueen’s are related because they all originally came from Scotland. Harold said, “I guess down the line we are all related.”
“According to Harold, the production company had six Pontiacs for this movie. These vehicles were on loan to the production company from the Pontiac Division of General Motors. The vehicle identification number plates, on the dash boards were removed from these cars so that the cars would have to be returned to General Motors.
“Harold stated that the production company blew up two Trans Ams. The #1 Trans Am did not explode as well as they wanted so, according to Harold, the production company went out and purchased a 7th car (referred here as #2 Trans Am) to be used to reshoot the explosion.
“Both Trans Am cars that were blown up were painted black and the frame rails were modified by the production company with slides, hooks and chains at the firewall. Then, a cable was attached from the frame rails to a tree. This was done so that when the Trans Am was going in reverse, the front end of the car would separate and would set off the explosives on the car.
