7 Of The Weirdest Cars Owned By Celebrities

Regular people collect baseball cards, stamps, comic book, and stuff like that. Sure, they can be a bit pricey if you get too into the scene, but for the most part, they’re accessible hobbies for people with a little extra cash on hand (must be nice!). But celebrities who rake in millions of dollars every year can afford more extravagant habits. A number of big-name celebs have extensive car collections. Hey, if they can afford it, and it brings them joy, who are we to get in their way, right?

Everybody wants the hot new Porsche and a lightning-fast Ferrari, but true car enthusiasts like to diversify their collections with obscure, bizarre, and downright weird cars. The collection of a hardcore automobile aficionado isn’t just a way to show off how rich they are or how many different ways they can wrap a Lamborghini, but the breadth of possibilities, imagination, and history that encompass the world of cars. Here are some of the weirdest cars owned by celebrities.

Jay Leno owns a lot of rare cars. Aside from hosting “The Tonight Show” from 1992 to 2009 (and then again from 2010 to 2014, but we don’t talk about that), his biggest claim to fame is his massive collection of cars, many of which were showcased on his CNBC show “Jay Leno’s Garage.” The series lasted for seven seasons before moving to YouTube, where new episodes are still uploaded.

While this story could consist entirely of cars owned by Jay Leno, we’re limiting it to one per celebrity, so for Jay, let’s take a look at his 1932 Morgan Three-Wheeler. First of all, it’s from 1932. Not many cars from that era remain operational, but Leno isn’t just a collector, he’s a bona fide gearhead, with a crew of fellow automobile experts in his employ. Another notable feature of the car, as its name suggests, is the fact that it only has three wheels, a unique feature that makes it instantly recognizable.

Leno also owns a 2014 version from the same company. There are 80 years of automobile technology separating them, but at the end of the day, cars are nothing more than a few wheels and an engine. The engines are more powerful, the seats are cozier, and there are more bells and whistles, but the fundamental principles of automobile travel haven’t really changed.

George Clooney is one of the planet’s biggest movie stars. He got his first big break on the hit NBC TV series “ER” before starring in movies like “Out of Sight,” “Three Kings,” and “The Perfect Storm.” Today, at 64 years old, he’s as handsome as ever and is known for his humanitarian efforts as much as his work on stage and screen. He’s an advocate for environmentalism and has long warned of the dangers of global warming and the harmful emissions produced by traditional, gas-operated cars. 

To that end, he is the owner of the very first Tango T600. If you don’t know what that is, there are microcars, and then there’s the Tango T600. In 2005, electric vehicles weren’t as common as they are today. In fact, they were practically non-existent. That is, until the Tango T600, which was not only fully electric, but also a delightfully fun-sized microcar. The car is outrageously tiny, and capable of seating two people (with the passenger seated directly behind the driver). 

But despite looking super-cute and having an extremely low profile, not to mention Clooney’s endorsement, the Tango T600 failed to break out. Only a dozen the cars exist across the entire world, though the company, Commuter Cars Tango, is still technically in operation.

Elvis Presley is the greatest rock and roll performer of all time. He united the world with his interpretation of American music, combining Black gospel and blues with country and rockabilly energy to create something entirely new. His music destroyed racial boundaries and had young people of all backgrounds dancing together under the singular banner of rock music.

Also, he loved cars. While Presley is most immediately associated with his iconic pink Cadillac, he had an impressive collection of automobiles that included this number, the Messerschmitt KR200. Built in Germany, the KR200 had only three tires as well as a unique steering wheel shaped like an upside-down U. It could seat two people, but, like the Tango T600, the car was so narrow that the passenger had to sit behind the driver, not next to them. Elvis mostly used the car to drive around his Graceland homestead. As shuttles go, the KR200 is way cooler than a golf cart.

Presley traded the car to his stylist, Bernard Lansky, in exchange for his pick of clothes from Lansky’s Memphis shop. Despite many offers from car collectors and Elvis enthusiasts alike, the Messerschmitt KR200 remains with the Lansky family to this day.

Though she tragically died in 1970 at the tender age of 27, Janis Joplin’s voice lives on forever through her immortal music. Like many rock and rollers who attain a degree of success, Joplin celebrated her fame by buying herself a fancy sports car, a pre-owned 1964 Porsche 356-C which she picked up for a relatively modest $3,500, a hefty sum of money in 1968.

A Porsche 356 is a classy vehicle, but Joplin went the extra mile with it, enlisting her roadie, Dave Richards, to turn the car’s body into a canvas for a piece of art called “The History of the Universe,” paying him $500 for his work. The result is a one-of-a-kind vehicle that combines the freedom represented by a Porsche with the artistic ambition of the hippie generation.

Following Joplin’s death, her manager, Albert Grossman, held onto it for a few years before it was returned to her family. It found a home at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio before selling at auction for $1.76 million.

Mick Fleetwood is the drummer and namesake of Fleetwood Mac, creator of the angsty anthem “Landslide” and one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. “Rumors” is consistently cited as one of the greatest records of all time, but the hardcore fans know that “Tusk” is a misunderstood classic that was ahead of its time. I could go on and on about Lindsay Buckingham’s inimitable style of guitar playing (what do you mean, he doesn’t use a pick?), but I digress.

For any aspiring rock and roller, the most important trait isn’t being able to play, or having usable equipment, but the ability to get to the gig on time. Mick Fleetwood’s first car was a 1953 London taxi, which he purchased from a neighbor for 12 pounds. Given the ample space in the rear of a taxi, Fleetwood was able to fit his drums in the car and get from gig to gig without much fuss, and that’s all that really matters! Rock and roll is all about ingenuity and making the most of what you’ve got, building word of mouth with wacky stories. A drummer using an old taxi as a makeshift touring van? That’s pretty awesome.

Nowadays, Mick Fleetwood’s car collection is massive and worth an untold fortune, but I imagine few cars are as special to Fleetwood as that vintage taxi that facilitated his budding career as a rock and roll drummer.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is arguably the most successful wrestler-turned-actor working in Hollywood today. He’s starred in such blockbuster franchises as “Fast & Furious,” “Jumanji,” “Moana,” and plenty more. Even if you don’t know anything about wrestling, you know The Rock.

Like many Hollywood superstars who own surprising cars and regularly earn $20 million or more per film, The Rock can afford to indulge in pricey hobbies like car collecting. He owns a ton of vehicles, from sleek sports cars to bulky trucks, but his weirdest four-wheeler is the Plymouth Prowler. If you’re a fan of The Rock’s films, you might remember that he drove a Prowler in 2013’s “Pain & Gain,” directed by Michael Bay. It seems he really liked the vehicle, since he kept it after production on the film wrapped.

The Plymouth Prowler looks like a modern interpretation of an old 1930s hot rod that would have been made by Ford back in the day. You know, the kind of car that would have slick flames or lightning bolts painted on the side. It’s got great old-timey sensibilities, like smaller front tires and larger rear tires, but reimagined through a modern lens, giving it a timeless look and feel. Simply put, it’s a sweet ride.

Like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld is particularly well known for his love of cars like the Porsche 917 Steve McQueen used in “Le Mans,” which Seinfeld leveraged into an internet streaming show, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” While not as well-known as his other show, the iconic TV sitcom “Seinfeld,” the intenet program lasted for 85 episodes and combined Jerry’s three great loves: comedy, cars, and coffee. Curiously, one of Seinfeld’s cars that never appeared in “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” is his 1957 BMW 300 Isetta.

This three-wheeled microcar was never sold in the United States, perhaps because of America’s love of old-fashioned muscle and the “bigger is better” approach. The Isetta, while cute and little, was not a secret powerhouse. Its single-cylinder engine only delivered about 12 horsepower, which probably wasn’t enough to satisfy American sensibilities. 

Then again, maybe it didn’t come to America because BMW simply couldn’t afford to ship them over at the time. In the 1950s, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The Isetta, based on a design licensed from the Italian Iso Rivolta company, was conceived with the idea of reducing manufacturing costs. Thus, the car could be sold for cheap but still turn a quick profit for the struggling company. In fact, the Isetta was actually a hit. It might be cute and unassuming, but without the Isetta, BMW might have never survived the 1950s.