Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 38

Thread: Cars that famous people owned - that surprised you!

  1. #1
    World Champion ERC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Auckland, North Shore
    Posts
    5,016

    Cars that famous people owned - that surprised you!

    I've just acquired a newly released auto biography of my musical idol - jazz trombonist and band leader Chris Barber. (Celebrates 60 years of leading his band this year, aged 84!)

    He is always happy to talk cars when we catch up so I knew he'd raced a Lotus IX, Elite, Elan and also entered the Lotus 47. I knew he was friends with Bernie Ecclestone, Colin Chapman, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Bruce McLaren etc . I knew he'd owned Aston Martins, Jaguars, Mercedes and a couple of La Salles.

    What I didn't know was that he'd owned and enjoyed a Dodge Charger!!!

  2. #2
    How about Peter Sellers and the string of Lotus 7s he owned and lent to "up and comings"?

  3. #3
    Semi-Pro Racer
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    159
    Harry Secombe Daimler SP250 'Dart'
    Paul McCartney Hispano-Suiza and Aston DB6, Ringo Starr Facel Vega , John Lennon Iso Fidia, read here.
    Last edited by Bryan; 03-13-2014 at 11:40 PM.

  4. #4
    World Champion ERC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Auckland, North Shore
    Posts
    5,016
    Although no surprise as I knew he loved his cars, George Harrison's McLaren did have a Chris Barber CD permanently in the player and that was a surprise, even though they were close friends!

  5. #5
    Semi-Pro Racer
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    159
    Jools Holland has a replica Rover Jet 1
    Last edited by Bryan; 03-14-2014 at 12:41 AM.

  6. #6
    Semi-Pro Racer
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    159
    James May had a Datsun 120Y

  7. #7
    B-but that's not really a surprise !

  8. #8
    I was always surprised Denny Hulme drove a Chevette...

  9. #9
    Journeyman Racer
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    West Auckland
    Posts
    133
    When we used to visit Mike Hailwood at his house in Mairangi Bay in Auckland in the '70s he used to get around in a Citroen / Maserati SM

  10. #10
    World Champion ERC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Auckland, North Shore
    Posts
    5,016
    Although most will know, James Hunt ran an Austin A35 van!

    From memory at a talk given by Frank Williams at Frank Sytner's dealership, apparently when both were based in Nottinghamshire in their early days, they ran Austin A40s - and one of them managed to roll one, I believe in the City!

  11. #11
    Journeyman Racer
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    West Auckland
    Posts
    133
    Of course there was the legendary A35 that Graham Hill used as a road car to get to races in the U.K and Europe in the 60's....
    From reading various books the general word was that the A35 was "indecently" fast in the hands of it's talented owner and often attracted the attention of the law in various countries

  12. #12
    Sir Stirling had a Standard 8 which was well modified by Alf Francis, Borrani wheels and all

  13. #13
    Denny Hulme had a Range Rover. and a Granada at one stage.
    Graham Hill owned Speedwell who made go faster bits for BMC cars

  14. #14
    World Champion
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,930
    Oldfarts Standard 10

  15. #15
    World Champion
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,930
    Brian Johnson ( ACDC) Lola T70
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  16. #16
    Patrick Head has a Beecham Jaguar Mk2

  17. #17
    Steve McQueen had a Mini

  18. #18
    Semi-Pro Racer
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Auckland North Shore
    Posts
    216
    Not to forget Brian Johnsons 4 1/2 litre Vintage BentleyName:  bj bentley.jpg
Views: 1009
Size:  77.1 KB

    Quote Originally Posted by bry3500 View Post
    Brian Johnson ( ACDC) Lola T70

  19. #19
    Semi-Pro Racer
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Havelock North
    Posts
    305
    Think Denny drove a Chevette only because he had to-seem to remember him advertising/endorsing them in TV ads. I was present at Manfield on one occasion when Denny rocked up at the pit entrance gate in said Chevette and without his pit pass. The exchange between Denny and the marshall on the gate was short and not very sweet with Denny asking "Don't you know who I am?" and (without waiting for an answer), driving straight through. You can't blame the poor marshall-it was stretching anyone's credibility to believe that an ex F1 World Champion would drive a Chevette!

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by bry3500 View Post
    Oldfarts Standard 10
    Don't think that counts!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •