Watch how Glickenhaus built “the ultimate” road and race SUV, the SCG Boot
A decade ago, before the auction world went officially crazy over McQueen-owned metal, James Glickenhaus bought Steve McQueen’s original Baja Boot at auction for $220,000. At the time, nobody really cared for what is essentially the first dedicated Baja prototype, designed and built in 1967 by Vic Hickey’s team out of GM parts and in just 30 days.
Hickey’s other projects included the Geological Trainer and the Lunar Rover of the Apollo Program, and the High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheel Vehicle known by all as the Humvee. However, Glickenhaus wasn’t planning on heading to the Moon, nor towards any conflict zone. Instead, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) set out to create the ultimate modern SUV—one that honors Hickey’s original by being able to drive to a race and then compete with it at full throttle.
SCG has now revealed footage from a new movie about the new Boot, covering the events from its first sketches to the finish line at the 2019 Baja 1000.
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Designed and built at California’s Armada Engineering, the new SCG Boot debuted last year at The Quail, only to hit the Baja 1000 in the production truck class alongside Ford’s new Bronco R. Driven by Darren Skilton, the SCG Boot wearing #2022 won its class by completing the race 220 miles ahead of Ford.
Where does this historic achievement leave the Glickenhaus Boot in 2020? Well, this year’s run of 20 two-door Boots are sold out. SCG sees demand at about 100 Boots per year, and the company is currently in the process of crash-testing the truck to make all versions fully EPA and CARB compliant.
At The Quail 2020, SCG will reopen its order book with the 2021 four-door Boot on display, and Jim Glickenhaus confirmed to Hagerty that his company will “definitely race the Baja 1000 again this coming fall with both a two and a four-door Boot.”
Before the new SCG Boot goes on its next adventurous round in Mexico, make sure to check out SCG’s video, and if you have the chance get a closer look at The Quail in August.
