The new Formula One movie Rush, based on the intense rivalry between F1 legends James Hunt and Niki Lauda, can reportedly put the bidding for a McLaren racing car, once driven by Hunt, into millions when it is put up for auction later this month.
The 1977 McLaren M26, which Hunt used to score his final victory in F1 during the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix, is up for auction by US-based RK Motors later this month.
The New York Daily News reports that 'Rush' focuses on the 1976 F1 season, which saw Hunt, a handsome and party-loving playboy, and the coolly efficient Austrian Lauda, wage an epic battle for the championship.
According to RK Motors, the car has been owned for years by a private collector who also owns a Ferrari F1 car once raced by Lauda, adding that when 'Rush' premieres on October 20, the Hunt-McLaren's pre-auction can be estimated at 9-12 million dollars given the Hollywood boost.
The report mentioned that Hunt helped create and improve the M26 into a race-winner towards the end of the 1977 season, although it added that the car helped Hunt to win the final three races that year.