MCQueen's 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo, which was reportedly the last new car the actor bought before his death in 1980, went under the hammer at the Mecum Auctions sale in Monterey, California and made around 20 times its usual value.

The actor's son, Chad MCQueen, says, "The car is rich in history. This is the last of the MCQueen cars. My dad had little things done to it. Like on the dashboard, he had a switch put on so it would kill the rear lights in case he was being chased on Mulholland Drive."

A portion of the proceeds from the sale is going to The Boys Republic, a school for troubled youngsters in California which helped MCQueen as a teenager.

Last year (14), a Ferrari 275 GTB which previously belonged to the Bullitt star sold for $9.6 million (£6 million).

MCQueen was a well known motoring enthusiast, performing his own car stunts and even embarking on a brief career as a racing driver.