"Friends of Steve McQueen" Car Show an Instant Success
Released on:September 12, 2008

That the late actor Steve McQueen held a absorbing fascination with speed and racing is no secret. His memorable performances in "Bullitt," "The Great Escape," and "Le Mans" continue to thrill audiences world-wide. He loved and collected fast cars and motorcycles.

But unless you've read his biographies you may not know that he was once a student at Boys Republic. He later attributed his sense of pride in work to the time he spent at the school. McQueen remained a lifelong friend of Boys Republic.

Ronald Harris, President of the Porsche 356 Club had a great idea. Why not hold a car show, "The Friends of Steve McQueen," at Boys Republic's 200-acre ranch and main campus? There's ample room and the pastoral setting is both beautiful and relaxing.

Car Show, June 14, 2008

"Our purpose was to bring attention to Boys Republic, their needs and their contributions in helping these young boys get a better start in life," wrote Harris.
The Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show was held June 14. Show-quality vehicles - too many to count - filled the campus baseball and football fields. There were Porsches, muscle cars, motorcycles and a variety of meticulously restored specialty cars

"It was spectacular! More than we could have dreamed!" said Harris. The San Diego Auto Museum drove up two of Steve's old bikes, Jesse Rodriguez graciously agreed to show his 1970 911-S Porsche, originally owned by Steve."

Actor and racer Chad McQueen lent his personal celebrity to the event; spent the entire day talking with fans and signing their requests. Matt Stone was also on-hand to autograph copies of his recently published book, McQueen's Machines.

Entry fees and contributions netted Boys Republic's programs approximately $25,000.

Our hat's off to members of the 356 Porsche Club, 912 Registry and R-Gruppe attendees whose efforts made the event possible. The Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show was, by any measure, a total success.