Steve McQueen’s ‘The Hunter’ Pontiac Trans Am emerges from a barn after 39 years
The Pontiac Trans Am used in the Steve McQueen film ‘The Hunter’ has emerged from a barn after being hidden away for 39 years.
The verdict is in.
A jury of bidders awarded a rare 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible a high bid of $1.1 million at the Mecum Auctions event in Kissimmee, Florida, setting a record price for both the model and the brand's production cars.
The Judge package marked the highest specification GTO trim.
The name was inspired by a famous sketch on the TV comedy show, "Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In."
ONE-OF-A-KIND CHEVROLET CORVETTE SURFACES AT AUCTION AND COULD BE WORTH OVER $3 MILLION
The Pontiac GTO Judge was the top version of the model in 1970. (Mecum Auctions)
The Orbit Orange car is one of just seven Judge convertibles that were built with an automatic transmission and the optional 370 horsepower Ram Air IV 400-cubic-inch V8. Just 10 others were ordered with the engine and a four-speed manual transmission.
The car is equipped with 400-cubic-inch V8 and Ram Air IV intake system. (Mecum Auctions)
The now fully restored car was loaded with options and originally used as an exhibition vehicle by Pontiac before being sold.
The Judge name was inspired by a sketch on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in." (Mecum Auctions)
The 81-year-old seller, Chuck Cocoma, has been collecting Pontiacs with Ram Air IV engines since 1982, and offered nine at the auction, all of which sold for six-figure prices.
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"Drove them when new, once we restored them, we never drove them again, except to go to shows," he told Fox News Digital.
The car has been fully restored. (Mecum Auctions)
He said he didn't want to leave them to a family member to deal with if he passed away and also wanted to shake hands with the new owners. Plus, he thought the timing was just right.
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"I think we’re right at a point that muscle cars are really hot now. People are looking for alternative investments, stock market floundering, all these economic factors," Cocoma said.