Grand Prix Originals > Steve McQueen Collection, Le Mans, Gulf....

Welcome to the Grand Prix Originals, the portal for historic driving/life styles. Here you will find high value products and things from a time when values still meant something and everything was still an original.

As homage to this golden age of motor sports, Dakota has designed an authentic line of retro racing jackets and top value leather clothing. Polos and oxfords and with logo stitching, elegant cashmere sweaters, blouses and leather shoes and a large selection of other accessories complete the collection. An exclusive backpack with a vintage look and a mechanical chronograph are also now being offered.

Heros of the time like Steve McQueen, Jacky Ickx, Jo Siffert and pioneers like Caroll Shelby, Colin Chapman and John Wyers with the Gulf Racing team created living legends with the cars like the Ford Mustang Shelby and Cobra, the Lotus, GT 40 and the Porsche 917. The stages were the Le Mans, SPA and Monaco and the darkest of all hells, the Nürburgring. Their stories are told with pride by this website and the Grand Prix Originals Collection.

PTK Shooting Jim Clark Revival

More Information: Ford Mustang Bullit GT V8

Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was a United States movie actor. Nicknamed "The King of Cool", he was considered one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to what many film goers consider a captivating on-screen persona. McQueen was considered combative and the archetypal "difficult movie star" who disliked working with directors or producers. To compensate, he would work only if paid a higher-than-average salary for his films.

The film is today still popular among race fans as it is a relatively accurate depiction of the era, with a lot of racing but very little dialogue.

McQueen had intended to race a Porsche 917 together with Jackie Stewart, but the #26 entry was not accepted. Instead, in the movie, he was shown starting the race on the blue #20 Gulf-Porsche 917K, which in the real race was driven by Jo Siffert and Brian Redman. The race-leading white #25 Porsche 917 "Long tail" was piloted by Vic Elford/Kurt Ahrens.

More information about Steve McQueen/Le Mans.

Steve McQueen Gallery

40th anniversary collection
At 4 p.m. on the afternoon of September 29th, 1968, the light blue orange Ford GT 40, piloted by Pedro Rodriguez and Lucian Bianchi after 331 laps and 4452,880 kilometers crossed the finish line first. And as the checkered flag waved, Ford and Gulf Oil won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and with it the FIA World Championship.

In memory of this landmark day and to celebrate its 40th anniversary, GRAND PRIX ORIGINALS has commissioned an extraordinary and limited edition timepiece, the GT40 - Gulf Chronograph from the exclusive German watchmaker Schäuble & Söhne. This is, in every sense of the word, a piece of history, which equally distinguishes itself by its timeless design as well as by its extraordinary functionality and quality. The key technical data only confirms that this timepiece is on par with the most well-known and best watches available: the finely balanced Valjoux 7750 calibre rotor with the checkered flag is especially easy to observe at work from the watch’s glass underside.

The sapphire glass tachymeter scale around the face features a high speed range from 60 to 500 kilometres per hour, a 30 minute and 24 hour counter, date and day functions as well as fluorescent time markings so you can orient yourself at night.

The masculine lines of the GT 40 and the pronounced Gulf design were the driving force behind the chronograph’s look, which will –at the latest- during its presentation at Le Mans, make the hearts of 40 watch lovers race.

The “GT4O 1st Gulf Victory Chronograph” will come with an unique watchband, especially designed for the limited series of only 40 time pieces. The asked price is € 1960 including a 24 month guarantee.

Heuer Chronographen: Order now in the Shop!