This Sleepy Airport Hangar Once Hid Steve McQueen's Legendary Car Collection

Dubbed "the King of Cool," Steve McQueen captured the 1960s and 1970s entertainment landscape with his popular antihero characters. Starring in successful productions like the TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive" and box-office hits such as "The Magnificent Seven," McQueen became one of Hollywood's most iconic stars. However, this was only one side of the stoic actor, who had a passion for automobiles and racing competitions.

McQueen was such an automobile enthusiast that some of the vehicles he drove on the big screen became part of his personal collection. To house his ever-growing car fleet, he chose an unusual location: a hangar about an hour and a half's drive outside of Los Angeles at the Santa Paula Airport. 

Over time, the airport hangar became more than a place to accommodate McQueen's expensive car collection; it offered the deeply private actor a simple life far removed from Tinseltown's glitz and glamour.

The Hollywood star housed some truly remarkable and iconic vehicles at the Santa Paula Airport. One of the vehicles that resided at his hangar was a 1956 Jaguar XKSS, which McQueen endearingly referred to as the "Green Rat." It was derived from the Jaguar D-Type, which was a stunning 1950s race car that successfully garnered three 24 Hours of Le Mans victories from 1955-1957. 

The XKSS was the road version, but retained the D-Type's uncivilized characteristics. The car was loud, only included the most basic of features, and had McQueen racking up more than his fair share of speeding citations. But the iconic actor reportedly loved the car and worked on it himself in his spare time. There were only 16 of these XKSSs made, but each included a 3.4-liter XK inline-six, which could generate 250 brake horsepower and reach a speed of 150 mph.

A more subdued example from McQueen's hangar collection is the 1952 Hudson Wasp. Hudson Motors was at one time among the top three U.S. automakers, trailing behind Ford and Chevrolet. Among the brand's notable 1950s-era achievements was its success in NASCAR and the introduction of the Hudson Wasp. 

McQueen owned the Two-Door Brougham iteration, which included some performance enhancements, including Hudson's legendary Twin H-Power engine with its dual carburetor system, a Power Dome cylinder head, and Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. According to his widow, as reported by RM Sotheby's, McQueen referred to it as a "Sunday-go-to-church-car," a sharp contrast to the brashness of the Jaguar XKSS.

Many decades before the rise of social media, which would ultimately render them largely unnecessary, the paparazzi were out in force, constantly snapping photos and approaching celebrities going about their day. With significant star status, actors like Steve McQueen sought a refuge of sorts from all the attention. As Barbara McQueen, Steve's third wife, explained, "He did truly, truly love Santa Paula. There was just something about the place. It was so quiet and no one bugged him about being a star," as reported by VC Star.

McQueen and his wife didn't just house his cars, motorcycles, and planes at the airport; the couple reportedly lived in the hangar for several months before buying a home nearby. And the locals around Santa Paula apparently were fond of thwarting attempts by the paparazzi to get close to the actor they saw as just a regular guy.

McQueen wasn't the only celebrity to discover the peaceful oasis of the Santa Paula Airport outside the bustle of Los Angeles. Back in the late 1970s, Cliff Robertson, Leonard Nimoy, and Gene Hackman were also frequent visitors. Harrison Ford, who is an avid pilot, has also spent time at the small airport.