The cars behind the 2025 auction story were Porsche 917K chassis 917-022, associated with Steve McQueen’s film Le Mans, and Ferrari 512 M chassis 1030, the yellow Ecurie Francorchamps racer. Ferrari 1030 was offered by RM Sotheby’s in Paris with a €9 million–€12 million estimate and recorded as not sold. The Porsche’s Mecum Kissimmee result is not established by the available records, so its auction outcome and any realized price remain unknown.
Which cars were the Le Mans rivals?
The pairing was specific: Porsche 917K chassis 917-022 and Ferrari 512 M chassis 1030. Both belong to the fierce Porsche–Ferrari prototype rivalry around the 1970 and 1971 Le Mans races, but their individual histories are not interchangeable with the broader achievements of their models or teams.
The 1971 film Le Mans provides the cultural frame for the pairing. The January 2025 feature connected Porsche 917-022 with Steve McQueen and the film, and also associated the Ferrari with it. Its author said the Ferrari’s particular film livery and race number could not be confirmed. A film association should therefore not be treated as proof that every on-screen detail belongs to either chassis.
What is known about Porsche 917K chassis 917-022?
The 917 was Porsche’s five-litre sports-prototype family. The January 2025 Monochrome Watches feature describes the early cars’ handling challenges and the development of the shorter 917K body; it says the 917K helped Porsche secure its first overall Le Mans win in 1970 and win again in 1971. Those are model- and team-level results, not evidence that chassis 917-022 itself won either race.
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The feature announced 917-022 for Mecum Kissimmee in 2025 and described an expected figure of about US$25 million, while noting there was no Mecum estimate. That was pre-auction reporting, not a result. The available record does not establish whether the car sold or what it brought, so the figure should not be read as a realized price or a current valuation.
What is known about Ferrari 512 M chassis 1030?
RM Sotheby’s catalogue identifies chassis 1030 as a Ferrari delivered new to Ecurie Francorchamps. The car raced at Le Mans in 1970 and finished fifth overall. It was originally a 512 S and was later upgraded to 512 M specification; the auction catalogue identifies it as one of 15 cars upgraded in this way.
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RM Sotheby’s records chassis 1030’s 1971 Le Mans entry as ending in retirement because of gearbox trouble. This is the history of this particular Ferrari, rather than a summary of all 512 M results. The catalogue also says Ferrari built 25 512 race cars between 1970 and 1971; that count refers to race cars, not every road car carrying a 512 name.
How did the cars differ?
| Comparison | Porsche 917K, chassis 917-022 | Ferrari 512 M, chassis 1030 |
|---|---|---|
| Racing context | The feature describes Porsche’s team-level overall Le Mans wins in 1970 and 1971; it does not establish those wins for chassis 917-022. | RM Sotheby’s records fifth overall at Le Mans in 1970 and retirement with gearbox trouble in 1971. |
| Development | The 917K was the shorter-tail evolution of Porsche’s 917 prototype. | Chassis 1030 began as a 512 S and was upgraded to 512 M specification. |
| Distinctive association | Associated with Steve McQueen’s film Le Mans by the January 2025 feature. | Delivered new to Ecurie Francorchamps; the feature describes it as yellow, while its specific film livery and race number are unconfirmed. |
| 2025 auction record | Announced for Mecum Kissimmee; sale result not established. | RM Sotheby’s Paris 2025 catalogue lists the lot as not sold. |
The comparison is not a simple verdict about which car was better. Porsche’s notable results in the period are team-level achievements, while Ferrari 1030 has a clearly documented fifth-place finish and a later retirement. Their configurations, provenance and cultural associations make them compelling rivals without making their individual race records equivalent.
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What happened at auction in 2025?
RM Sotheby’s offered Ferrari 512 M chassis 1030 at its Paris 2025 sale with an estimate of €9,000,000–€12,000,000. The official catalogue marks the lot not sold. An estimate is not a sale price, and the catalogue status does not establish a final transaction at that amount.
The Porsche was announced for Mecum Kissimmee in the January 2025 feature, but an official result was not established. No confirmed sale price for 917-022 can be given from that announcement.
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Sources and further viewing
- RM Sotheby’s 1970 Ferrari 512 M | Paris 2025 catalogue for chassis 1030’s identity, provenance, selected race history, estimate and lot status.
- Robin Nooy’s January 18, 2025 Monochrome Watches feature for the contemporary auction announcement, film framing and Porsche context.
The 1971 film Le Mans is the natural related viewing for readers interested in the screen connection; the film association does not itself verify the identity of a specific car shown in every scene.
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