Now’s Your Chance To Own Steve McQueen’s 1952 Chevrolet 3800 Camper Truck

Steve McQueen is as cool as they come. And now you have the chance to own a piece of the icon’s automotive collection. Legendary Motorcar Company is selling the 1952 Chevrolet 3800 that once belonged to McQueen.

Chevrolet’s first major truck redesign post-WWII was the Advance-Design series that was billed as a bigger, stronger, and sleeker design. These trucks were sold with only minor changes over the model years from 1947 until 1955 and established Chevrolet trucks as number one in sales in the US. For 1952 there were minor changes such as the outer door handles became push button as opposed to turn down style, the speedometer went up to 90 mph and the dashboard trim is painted instead of chrome. New serial number codes KP ½ ton, KR ¾ ton, & KS 1 ton were used.

According to the original listing, the 1952 Chevrolet 3800 Pickup with the custom camper was purchased by Steve McQueen from a migrant farmer he passed on the side of the road in the late ’70s in Trancas Beach, California. An avid collector of vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles throughout his life he owned more than 60 rare vehicles including a 1951 Hudson Hornet, a 1956 GMC Suburban, a 1931 Lincoln Club Sedan, a 1946 Willys Jeep and a 1935 Chrysler Airflow Imperial Sedan.

This 1952 Forest Green Chevrolet 3800 series is a one-ton step-side long-bed powered by the original 235 cu in Loadmaster 6-cylinder engine with a 4-Speed Manual Transmission. McQueen understandably used the truck for cross-country camping trips as this Chevrolet pickup truck features a custom camper known as “Dust Tite”.

The custom camper was built by Harold Van Hoosen, a sheet metal fabricator from Yreka, California in October 1952. Made of galvanized metal and aluminum, the camper includes a double-size bed, storage cabinets, drawers, shelves, and a heavy-duty diamond-plated rear bumper. Inside the famous Chevy 5-Window cab design, complete with sun-visor, the two-tone Green Bench Seat is in wonderful condition. It also has an AM Radio and Chevy Heater, and a platform on top. Other features include 5-gallon gas tanks on the running boards, driver’s side Spotlight, and two toolboxes.

Not only was the truck owned by McQueen but it’s said to have been the last vehicle to transport McQueen from his Santa Paula home to the Ventura County Airport on Nov. 3, 1980 where he went for his final cancer surgery in Mexico after being diagnosed with incurable mesothelioma the previous year.

The truck was first sold at the Steve McQueen Estate Auction in 1984 at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. Included are an original Certificate of Authenticity from that auction, signed by Terry and Chad McQueen, as well as, the auction ticket and advertisements, the original 1959 California license plates, and three California title “pink slips” in Steve McQueen’s name.

For further information and pricing reach out to Legendary Motorcar Company.