Springsteen fans could be ‘Racing in the Street’ in The Boss’ old convertible, now up for auction
The Boss confirms he "virtually lived" in the car for many summers in the Jersey Shore.
Bruce Springsteen fans could be “Racing in the Street” in a Lemans blue convertible once owned by the superstar and now up for auction. Bonus: you don’t have to build her straight out of scratch.
The 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle has a 396 CI, big block engine — as referenced in the Springsteen song featured on the album Darkness on the Edge of Town — and touts a white convertible top and white bucket seat interior. Its Lemans blue exterior harkens to its decade of origin and is cut through with white side stripes.
“I got this car in 1981 and virtually lived in it for many summers down here at the Jersey Shore,” reads a signed letter from Springsteen authenticating the car’s origins. “It’s a great piece and holds a sacred place in my heart.”
The auction is slated to take place May 12 to 20 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds with the car listed as a “main attraction” on the site of Mecum Auctions, which is facilitating the sale. Mecum, which pegs itself as a leader in auctions of classic and collector cars, says that prospective buyers can place a bid by phone, online, or in person. Should the winning bid take place in person, the buyer can drive the car off the grounds. No minimum bid was listed.
Springsteen wrote that he gifted the car to his “long time engineer and great friend” Toby Scott in 1987 as a Christmas present. Scott worked with Springsteen on more than 18 albums.
The Chevelle aligns with Springsteen’s taste for old-timey American cars, many of which he keeps in his garage.
“They’re not collector’s pieces; they’re what I call drivers,” the superstar told GQ in 2020. “A small collection of older American vehicles that I get in and drive once in a while.”
According to Mecum Auctions, a complete restoration of the convertible spanned from 1988 to 2020, to match the car described in the 1978 Springsteen song that rings of melancholy, yearning, and summer nights — The Boss had painted the car midnight black when he owned it.
Springsteen is said to have driven his Chevelle on surfing trips down the Shore, and the car has become a small piece of The Boss’ Jersey lore.
It was on loan to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 with one of Springsteen’s surfboards tucked inside. The surfboard was allegedly purchased in the late 1960s when the musician was living above Challenger Eastern Surfboards in Ocean Township, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In addition to the convertible, the winner will receive the signed letter confirming the car’s origins, as well as a “document” from a mechanic that details how he came to acquire the car for the singer.