Lady Di, Tom Hanks … now also Elvis: Which famous car would like it?

Time and again there are cars on the market whose provenance is the real selling point. Put your hands on the steering wheel that Elvis touched… hmm. That stain on the doormat – that’s where John Lennon drank his coffee, ugly.

These vehicles are partly movie props that the protagonist bought after filming was completed (see Tom Hanks below). Some of these were everyday vehicles used to get to school (see John Lennon below). What they all have in common is that they are quirky vehicles with an exciting history:

In 1971 the extravagant Blackhawk from the exclusive car manufacturer Stutz came on the market. Built on the basis of a Pontiac Grand Prix, the bodies of these luxury cars were forged in Italy by Carrozzeria Padane. In addition to a completely new body, each Blackhawk also received a completely new interior. The carpets are made from imported Australian lambswool. Everywhere was gilding, leather trim and wood panelling. All this made the Blackhawk the most expensive car on the American market at the time.

The first Stutz Blackhawk dealer in the US wasted no time demonstrating the car at Elvis’ Beverly Hills home in hopes of placing an order for a future car. Elvis insisted on buying it immediately. Meyers initially refused because he needed it for auto shows to gain publicity, after which Elvis is alleged to have said:

Music icon creates automotive icon: When John Lennon bought his Rolls-Royce Phantom V in 1964, it was elegantly painted gloss black. Three years later, the Beatles album “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was released and the Summer of Love began. And Lennon’s car was restyled accordingly.

In August 2022, the car in which Lady Di drove her son William to the Kindsgi was auctioned. Quite a sporty thing by the way, the Escort Turbo – and an absolute icon of the eighties. Just like Diana herself.

Chic, chic, Mr. Hefner! The Playboy publisher drove probably the most beautiful of all BMW models in the 1970s. In 2020 it was auctioned on Bring a Trailer.

This car was used in the 2017 movie The Post starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in the lead roles. Hanks liked the car so much that he bought it after filming was done.

the First Lady of Song ordered one of only 65 convertible versions of Benz’s post-war W189 model (it got a 10 percent celebrity discount). While the car is in original condition and comes with a 1988 photo by Annie Liebowitz showing Ella with the car, the 2020 auction price will likely be double the car’s value.

In 1964, Southern California engineer, artist, boat builder and surfer Bruce Meyers came up with the idea of ​​building a lightweight all-terrain vehicle based on a VW Beetle. To do this, he shortened the wheelbase of the German small car by a whopping 36 centimeters, installed an improved wishbone suspension and gave the vehicle a minimal – but strikingly stylized – fiberglass body. Tadaaa – the beach buggy concept was born!

With its iconic shape, the Meyers Manx was also used in several films, such as “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), which features a chase scene featuring heavily tuned Meyers Manx, who were equipped with powerful six-cylinder Chevrolet Corvair engines. These unique adaptations were initiated by lead actor (and amateur racer) Steve McQueen, who purchased one of these vehicles for personal use after filming was completed. In 2020 the buggy was auctioned…for an insane amount:

Everyone who was a rapper around 1990 and who respected themselves drove a Bentley. And preferably one in a striking color. Example: Will Smith’s fat 1988 6.8-liter turbocharged Bentley Continental. This car was already auctioned in 2015 and offered again in early 2020 until it found a buyer at Hemmings at the end of that year.

“Smokey and the Bandit” starring Burt Reynolds – Sunday afternoon was invented because of this movie! Also, the 1977 slapstick action movie was a giant commercial for the same vintage Pontiac Trans Am. This model has enjoyed iconic status ever since, most notably in the black and gold livery with Screaming Chicken firebird badges on the hood.

Burt Reynolds owned a number of Trans Ams because they always got him as a promotional gift. And many of these were put up for auction (including as part of his estate after his passing in 2018). But this copy, given to him after filming was completed in 1977, recently went under the hammer:

The private car of none other than Juan Manuel Fangio, arguably the Best racers of all time (scientifically proven according to an extensive study by the University of Sheffield). Remarkably, the Argentine still holds the Formula 1 records for the highest percentage of wins at 46.15%, highest percentage of pole positions at 55.8%, highest percentage of front row starts at 92.31% and if the oldest F1 world champion at 46 years and 41 days. After his retirement, Fangio became a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, who gave him this 300 SL, which he drove more than 70,000 km on tours through Europe and South America.