Made by Chevrolet engineer Vic Hickey specifically for the Baja 1000. It was the first design built from scratch for the off road race with a tube frame chassis, 4 wheel drive, all around independent suspension, and a mid engine Chevy V8.
Also involved with the first Baja 1000 was Dave Ekins’ brother Bud, who had a Triumph dealership and raced motorcycles in the 50s and 60s. In 1963 Ekins customer Steve McQueen asked Bud to do some motorcycle stunt work for the film The Great Escape. Ekins went on to a highly successful career as a Hollywood stuntman. And that is how Steve McQueen ended up driving the Baja Boot in two Baja 1000s! He didnt win either race, on the first try an axle sheared off, and on the second the gearbox failed.
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