Steve McQueen’s 1952 Hudson Wasp Is Going up for Auction

Here’s your chance to add one of the King of Cool’s less heralded vehicles to your collection.

A 1952 Hudson Wasp that belonged to Steve McQueen will be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s next month. The late actor’s widow, Barbara Minty, has said the car was one of his favorites to drive later in life.

The Hudson name may be all but forgotten today, but the Detroit automaker was a force in American motorsports, especially in stock car racing, during the 1950s. The company had been selling cars since the first decade of the century, but it wasn’t until 1952 that it began selling its “high output” vehicles, like the Wasp. The then-new model was built on a short wheelbase, utilized the company’s trademark “step-down chassis,” and was available as a two- or four-door model in a number of body styles.

McQueen’s Wasp, which is being offered from the Petersen Automotive Museum collection, was a two-door Brougham. It’s finished in a beautiful coat of light green and has loads of chrome trim and a black roof. The interior features plenty of chrome, along with cloth upholstery on the door panels and front and rear benches. The car, which McQueen is said to have “loved and babied,” has seen better days, but that’s likely because it still retains most of its original paint and interior. That suggests it would be a great candidate for restoration.   

As stylish as the Wasp may look, its most attractive feature lies under the hood. McQueen’s example, unsurprisingly, is a true performance spec. It’s powered by an inline-six with a Power Dome cylinder head and Twin H-Power carburetor setup. The car also features a Hydra-Matic Drive four-speed automatic transmission, which was a rare option for the Wasp. McQueen actually drove the car, which is a big part of why it has 63,537 miles on the odometer, but it has been maintained as needed over the years.

McQueen’s Wasp is scheduled to go up for bid on Thursday, October 9, during RM Sotheby’s Hershey 2025 sale. The auction house expects the coupe to fetch between $40,000 and $60,000. The company sold another of McQueen’s Hudsons, this one a 1953 Hornet, in 2019 for $165,000.

Click here for more photos of Steve McQueen’s 1952 Hudson Wasp.