To explain cool it is to cheapen it; to break it down and put it to spreadsheets and flow diagrams is to show the world that you don’t get it. Cool is indefinable. Cool is effortless. Cool is Brad Pitt on Fight Club, James Dean in a Porsche Spider, and maybe George Clooney when he’s with a supermodel half he’s age who only speaks Albanian, Cool is not having to explain yourself but most importantly cool is who you are when nobody is watching, which brings us to the topic at hand here, what made Steve McQueen “The King Of Cool”
1. Steve McQueen is cooler than you, always has been, always will be, period.
2. Steve McQueen was born March 24th, 1930 to a stunt pilot and an alcoholic. Imagine telling your peers in primary school that your dad was a stunt pilot, it doesn’t get cooler than that.
3. Steve joined the army, was promoted and demoted 7 times till eventfully joining the US Navy and actually saving 5 marines in near death situations in the Arctic.
4. Steve owned a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. Arguably the most beautiful car ever designed. Steve’s car and vintage motorcycle collection would make any Automobile museum owner jealous, which brings us to the next reason why he was so cool
5. He was also a professional race car driver. In an era of no airbags, no ABS brakes and the sheer danger of wizzing around Monte Carlo in leather driving gloves, a Salvatore Feragamo scarf, aviators and a helmet that wouldn’t make it through an Euro NCAP crash test, race care drivers where cooler than JF Kennedy in the 1960’s
6. Steve looked good in everything he wore, from a 3 piece suit to blue overhauls that mechanic wear, he’s signature style included aviators, slim-cut tailored suits, sport coats, zip-up windbreakers, khakis and of course dark blue denim with the perfect fitting white V-neck
7. Steve has a Rolex named after him
8. He got married 3 times and once to a supermodel, mind you all he’s wives were flames even in todays nip-tuck standards.
9. Steve McQueen literally “started from the bottom”. McQueen worked as a janitor cleaning toilets and a number of odd jobs before ultimately becoming a Oscar award winning actor