This Boot is Made For Running (at over 100MPH in the Desert)


“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

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  1. JeepyJayhawk Avatar

    I need to call my banker… and mortgage my kids…

  2. buzzboy7 Avatar

    What is that between the accelerator and the brake?

    1. dculberson Avatar

      It sure looks like an exposed driveshaft, and if you go to the linked pages you'll see that there's one on the passenger side as well. But I refuse to believe that they were that insane, so maybe it's a suspension radius rod or something? (Remember, independent front and rear despite four wheel drive, so the suspension would be interesting to say the least.)

    2. CJinSD Avatar
      CJinSD

      My guess is that they are torsion bar springs for the front suspension, perhaps attached at the inner mounts of the upper control arms.

      1. dmilligan Avatar

        Most likely, or possibly support struts.

  3. engineerd Avatar

    I wonder if the cupholders were added in the '80s in response to Car and Driver's war on cars with no cupholders?
    This thing looks like it could get me in serious trouble and probably killed. I just called a realtor to sell my house so I can afford it. Mrs. engineerd is out of town, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?

  4. Tim Odell Avatar
    Tim Odell

    That vehicle may only be drive while shirtless, but wearing a leather helmet and goggles.

    1. JeepyJayhawk Avatar

      If those are the only conditions, I'm in.

    2. njhoon Avatar

      ahh, when i take off my shirt I still have sweater on anyway. I'm in.

    3. SSurfer321 Avatar

      I would rather not have my skin sandblasted off.

      1. Tim Odell Avatar
        Tim Odell

        Then you are clearly not as cool as McQueen.
        <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4207121892_48bd5f0274_o.jpg&quot; width="500">

        1. ZomBee Racer Avatar

          Wow! It appears to be much larger than I thought here…

          1. Alex Kierstein Avatar
            Alex Kierstein

            Nope. McQueen was only 3'9"! Ah the wonders of trick cinematography.

          2. dr zero Avatar

            That was my exact reaction to seeing this picture too. That thing is big.

  5. muthalovin Avatar

    Boss. Between this and, like, um, 4.7 Raptors, I would, uh… Yeah. Boss.

  6. ZomBee Racer Avatar

    PAH! This has it.

  7. dukeisduke Avatar

    I remember reading about the Baja Boot in Hot Rod, when I was but a wee lad. I know that at least one was built with an Olds Toronado V8. Of course back then, anything with the name Hurst on it was automatically cool.

  8. MazatlanFishingReport - Job Avatar

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  9. Rap Avatar

    Thanks
    tim
    top hip hop