RIP Chad McQueen

[Paul K]

Just saw Steve’s son passed away. RIP.

https://news.speedsociety.com/new-loss-hollywood-rebel-chad-mcqueen-passes-away/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3sjn7tmkO1bP7s5H4J3EZQ XRi9B_bSNg1r-MoTzlGSyG-efuTBSQIruyk_aem_dOIBxS_qpFGz2M6DTGk_ng

[sc_rufctr]

Oh... no. Gone way too soon.

- Rest in peace.

(There's some commentary about organ failure in the news but nothing confirmed yet)

[Noah930]

Well that's sad news. Not that I knew him, but it was still a regular thing to see him at local annual Porsche events. RIP and condolences to his family.

[Eric 951]

That is sad. RIP "Dutch"

[wildthing]

Something wrong with the article. It says he passed away Sep 6, 2023.



Other news outlets are reporting Sep 11, 2024.

[sc_rufctr]

From his recently edited Wiki Page...

Death

On September 12, 2024. McQueen's wife Jeanie and two children Chase and Madison released a joint statement to Variety confirming that McQueen died in Palm Springs.[11] His friend Arthur Barens told The Hollywood Reporter that McQueen died from organ failure while at his Palm Springs ranch.[10] McQueen had never fully recovered from an injury he sustained in a fall in 2020.[10][12]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_McQueen#Death

Also... I didn't know he was in the Karate Kid (1984) movie.

[Jeff Higgins]

Godspeed, Chad.

While I never had the chance to spend a great deal of time with Chad, we often had a chance to b.s. at various R Gruppe gatherings (he was a SoCal member). Chad was a very, very nice man, with a kind and generous heart. He spent a good deal of time working with and supporting the California Boys Republic, a charity his father was involved with as well.

I believe his health issues began with that heavy crash at Daytona in about 2006, 2007, or 2008 (I can't remember which year exactly). He suffered some pretty traumatic injuries, being held in the hospital for many, many months before being released. I think he may have suffered the same concussive injury that has been widely discussed in the context of NFL players.

*Sigh*. We are the same age. He's leaving behind a family that loves him, and that he loved dearly. Count your blessings, folks, and make every day count...

[pwd72s]

Damn! Never met him, but still sorry to hear. I do have a tale though. A post on the Bullitt Mustang board. It was about the owner of a then new '08 making the drive from the midwest to California, staying in Palm desert. A man walked up, asking how he liked his Bullitt. The usual car guy chat ensured, mainly talking about the Mustang. As they were about to part, the Mustang guy stuck out his hand, introduced himself. He related that his Jaw dropped when the guy shaking his hand said "Chad McQueen".

[speeder]

Really sad...I was just talking with a buddy who is a major car guy and Porsche collector and he was telling me about the Cars and Coffee that Chad's son has been doing in Palm Desert. It's supposed to be a really good one. 64 is too young but his old man only made it to 50.

[ted]

10 years ago met Chad when he lived in Palm Desert and hosted RG a couple of times at his home and at the Thermal track.
He hosted an open house at the Vault a big neighborhood car collection that was part of his community.

Chad also hosted RG at the Thermal club for a couple track days.
On this track day I followed his orange 911 onto the track at the start of a session.
End of the day in a small group Chad said to me that I was a very good driver.
A compliment from the son of Steve McQueen made the long drive home pass by quickly.

Chad's 911 had a new dent on top of the car where on an early morning run in the desert hills a Rams head goat jumped over Chad's 911 denting the top of a fender.

Later I met Chad in a small morning meet up and he was very proud of his father's black long hood 911 showing me details of it's condition.
Like the unrestored worn rubber pads on the foot pedals that he said were well worn from when his father drove it.
Friendly and engaging he offered that I should come over and see his cars at his garage sometime.
Chad was a nice guy, here he is in his orange 911 on the Thermal track.

[davehg]

Chad was a close friend to many folks in the Pelican community, and especially in the RGruppe world. Honestly, it's hard to guess who he wasn't friendly with in the car world as he loved cars and car people.

He passed, fittingly enough as his friend Freeman Thomas noted, on "911."

I've worked closely with Chad and his family for 20 years, starting up McQueen Racing in 2010 and producing a number of films, cars, and bike projects. I've worked and been around many celebs and kids of celebs, and Chad remains the most authentic, approachable, and likable guy I'ver ever known.

I was at one of the car shows where he approached a young man in the armed services who had driven his '68 Bullitt Mustang tribute thousands of miles to attend. They had a wonderful time talking about his dad, the film, and his tribute build. The car was good - not concours but the kind of build you'd do if you were a service guy on a very limited income doing most of the work yourself. At the end of the show, Chad presented him with the trophy for Best Bullitt car, and the guy was speechless and in tears receiving the trophy. Chad knew what it meant to him. He also knew what the show meant to the team that ran the Boys Republic - Steve's former reform school. He worked tirelessly so that the car show became their largest fundraiser, raising millions and helping troubled kids find their way like was done for his dad.

Chad had zero ego - and he gave zero F*&Ks about anything pretentious. If you were genuine and decent - better if you liked Porsches and his dad - you were ok with him.

Chad had the most encyclopedic knowledge of cars of anyone I've known - walking a car show like Rennsport with him was the best thing a car guy could do as you'd stand dumbfounded as he described the car, the drivers that raced that car, the races....there was no end to his depth of knowledge.

He knew his dad's cars like they were his - and several were. He owned his dad's 1958 speedster, and his 1969 911s (one two purchased for the film "Le Mans"). If you were lucky and trusted, you got a ride. He trusted almost no one to drive or work on his dad's cars, and our mutual friend was the only one he let fire them up. He owned and experienced almost every car you can think of - but his love for Porsches was unsurpassed.

I remember calling him when I bought a Z4M Coupe and he patiently listened to me while I excitedly described it. When I was done, he said simply "Not a Porsche" and hung up. He understood what I didn't - and he helped guide me to my first Porsche (a 914-6 conversion) and later Porsches.

It's hard to grow up in the shadow of someone as famous as his dad, but Chad embraced his legacy and he zealously protected his dad's. If you wanted to license Steve McQueen, and god forbid on a car or motorcycle, you'd better be ready to be grilled. He understood some of the limitations, and when a manufacturer couldn't produce a specific feature (usually due to low volume or EPA regs), Chad ensured they provide him with cars or bikes that he partnered with speciality builders to tune into what Steve would want for his own. If you visit McQueen Racing you can see some of the examples of hot rod tunes he helped produce. God help you if you used Steve McQueen without asking (and without the tweaks that Chad knew Steve would want).

He raised his kids like he was raised - they worked for everything they received, and like him, they were wonderful, grateful and decent humans with no ego, and a real pleasure to work with and be around. They are the best stewards of his dad's legacy, and they were featured in many commercials and articles because like Chad, they are the real deal cool McQueen.

I'd encourage watching two things to get a great sense of Chad:

Our 2015 documentary "Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans" which is an unapologetic and incredible look at the making of that film and the toll it extracted on all involved. Should be on the usual places to rent and stream, and it was one of only three documentary films admitted into Cannes Classic that year. Chad and I sweated so many details to get that story right, even when it wasn't exactly complimentary to his dad's behavior at times. But it was honest.

Nicolas Hunziker's excellent video "Canyon Carving" which shows Chad as I best remember him - driving the roads in Mulholland or Hwy 74 in "Agent Orange", his twin plug short stroke 911. That's how most of his close friends will fondly remember Chad - early morning runs in the air cooleds.

The Porsche and racing world lost a dear friend this week. It's fitting that the ACO/Le Mans paid tribute to Chad - he'd like that one the best.

[Jeff Higgins]

Thanks for sharing your friendship with Chad with us, Dave. Like I said, I only ever got to spend a very limited amount of time with him, but in that time, he always came across just as you describe - absolutely unpretentious and genuine.

I remember the first time I met him, at one of our early Treffens in Monterey. He had driven a 906 of all things. Kind of the "mic drop" car in a sea of early 911 hot rods that were no slouches in their own rights.

I had no idea whose car it was. I was checking it out when some guy I had never met walked up and started b.s.ing with me about it. Then he opened the door and let me look in, then the engine cover. By then I figured it must be his, or he at least knew the owner.

Then he asked me which car was mine, so we walked over to it and he started checking it out, doing his best to compliment what he could (in those early days with my car, it was still pretty rough). We spent more time with my car than with the 906. He was truly interested in what I had done, how I had done all of the work with my then quite young sons, and all of that.

We were just about to part ways and wander the parking lot, when it occurred to us that neither one of us had introduced ourselves. So we did that, and he remarked "oh, you're with the crew down from Seattle".

He had made our first encounter more about me than about him. It could, of course, have been all about him. But it was obvious he didn't want it to be that way. He made a real impression that day. Like you said, absolutely unpretentious.

I wish I could have spent more time getting to know him.

[red 928]

No more sweep the leg.



Ya it was actually the other guy, but he was still in the movie.