This 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series II Roadster was used by Steve McQueen’s film production company Solar Productions on the set of his 1971 film Le Mans. McQueen would later gift the car to Alfred “Fredy” Zurbrügg – the chef who ran the catering operations for the film.
Zurbrügg was anything but your run-of-the-mill caterer, he worked on some major Hollywood productions including the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. After being gifted this car by McQueen he would keep it for 52 years – perhaps an indication of just how much it meant to him.
Fast Facts – The “Zurbrügg” 1970 Jaguar E-Type
- This 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series II Roadster, gifted by Steve McQueen to chef Alfred “Fredy” Zurbrügg during the filming of Le Mans, is a rare example of McQueen’s generosity and connection to the film’s crew. Zurbrügg kept the car for 52 years, a sign of how much sentimental value it held for him.
- The car is powered by a 4.2 liter Jaguar XK straight-six with a 4-speed manual transmission. It features independent four-wheel suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and modifications for U.S. road use, including Stromberg carburetors and larger bumpers.
- Zurbrügg, a celebrated Swiss chef, worked on major productions like On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Le Mans. McQueen became fond of his cooking, particularly his “Steve Steak,” leading to a friendship that culminated in McQueen gifting him the E-Type.
- This unrestored Jaguar E-Type, still in its original silver paint, is now offered for sale through Mecum Auctions on January 18th in Florida. With its provenance and unique history, it represents a rare opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
The Car Steve McQueen Gave To A Chef
The book Our Le Mans: The Movie, the Friendship, the Facts by Hans Hamer outlines a number of memorable stories from the creation of the film Le Mans, one of Steve McQueen’s personal passion projects and a film that would become a cult classic.
Above Video: This is the official cinematic trailer of the 1971 Steve McQueen film Le Mans. It would be on this film that McQueen would meet the chef Alfred “Fredy” Zurbrügg and gift him an E-Type.
Hamer tells the true story of Alfred “Fredy” Zurbrügg, a chef who was only 26 years old in mid-1970 when he went to work on Le Mans, a movie about the world-famous 24-hour-long French motor race.
The son of a celebrated Swiss chef, Fredy had been immersed in the world of fine cuisine from early childhood, and he took to it like a duck to water. His first work on a movie set as a chef would be from late 1968 into 1969, working on the big budget James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
It would be on the set of the Bond film that Zurbrügg’s talents would be noticed by production manager Hubert Fröhlich – a highly-regarded veteran of many major films including The Great Escape, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Magnificent Seven, The Eagle Has Landed, and more.
Fröhlich would hire Zurbrügg for his next major motion picture, Le Mans, and Zurbrügg once again excelled himself – cooking 800+ meals each day for the crew and cast in “Solar Village.”
The “Steve Steak” And The Impossible Choice
It would be during this time that Zurbrügg became friends with McQueen, and learned to cook his favorite dish, the “Steve Steak,” a steak that was cooked well done, then basted with honey which was promptly caramelized with a blowtorch. This was paired with a large glass of Coke with ice.
This car was originally meant to be sent to California and owned by Steve McQueen himself. But he gave it to Alfred “Fredy” Zurbrügg as a gift in France before filming wrapped for “Le Mans.”
When filming was close to finishing, McQueen took Zurbrügg outside the dining hall where he saw three cars lined up, a Porsche 911, a Mercedes-Benz Pagoda SL, and a Jaguar E-Type – all new or very close to it. McQueen looked at Zurbrügg and said “Choose one.” Zurbrügg embarrassingly admitted that he didn’t have a driving license, McQueen replied in German: “That’s a gap in your education.”
In the end, Zurbrügg chose the E-Type. He got his driver’s license too. McQueen had planned to take the car back to the USA with him and it had only 600 miles on the clock. A few minor modifications had been made so that the car would be road-legal in the US, including the fitment of two Stromberg carburetors rather than the original triple SU carbs, larger bumpers, and a key ignition on the side of the steering column.
Rather than selling the car and making a quick buck, which would have been easy given the Steve McQueen provenance, Zurbrügg decided to keep it. He kept it for the rest of his life, 52 years, and treasured it.
Original, Unrestored, And Now For Sale
Today the car remains in original, unrestored condition throughout, right down to the same Silver paint that gleamed in the sunlight of the French countryside on the day Zurbrügg saw it for the first time while standing next to McQueen and making one of the hardest decisions of his life.
The Jaguar E-Type has long been heralded as one of the most beautiful cars of all time, if not the most beautiful outright.
As you would expect, the car is powered by a 4.2 liter Jaguar XK straight-six with power sent back through a 4-speed manual transmission. The car has independent front and rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and a monocoque body that was quite ground-breaking for the time.
This car is now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum on the 18th of January in Florida. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
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