Star Wars designer's 1976 Star Trek model up for bid
This unusual Ralph McQuarrie design may be as close as we'll ever get to a Star Wars and Star Trek crossover.
Ralph McQuarrie was a cornerstone of the Star Wars universe, creating some of the sci-fi franchise's most iconic concept designs, including Darth Vader's look. He applied his unique vision to the Star Trek universe in 1976 and helped create an unusual version of the USS Enterprise, which is now going up for auction.
McQuarrie worked with legendary set designer Ken Adam, known for his work on James Bond films, to create concepts for Star Trek: Planet of the Titans, a 1976 Trek revival film that was never produced. That collaboration resulted in a 15-inch-long (38 centimeters) model based on their Enterprise design.
The wood and plastic model goes up for sale on Thursday through Nate D. Sanders Auctions with a starting bid of $40,000 (about £30,134, AU$52,846).
The spaceship features the familiar saucer section and warp nacelles seen on the original 1960s television show, but has a triangular body reminiscent of McQuarrie's design for the Star Wars Star Destroyer.
While the 1976 movie was never made, the model did get a brief on-screen cameo appearance during the 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Best of Both Worlds: Part II." It was part of the Starfleet armada destroyed by the Borg.
McQuarrie's 1976 Star Trek ideas helped inspire the design for the lead spaceship in the CBS All Access show Star Trek: Discovery. (Disclosure: CBS is CNET's parent company.)
