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Proudly owning a Ferrari is commonly seen as becoming a member of an unique membership, the place the worth of admission begins excessive and solely continues to rise from there. However when celebrities enter the image, the tales grow to be much more compelling. Whereas wealth can open the door to a Ferrari dealership, it typically takes a novel character to show a prancing horse right into a cultural icon.
These aren’t simply tales of luxurious purchases. They’re tales of ardour, private fashion, and typically unconventional selections that helped elevate each the movie star and their Ferrari into one thing bigger than life.
Love Tales Too Actual for Hollywood
This isn’t a whole record of each movie star who ever occurred to personal a Ferrari. We might record everybody who has ever owned a Rolex, too, however that’d be as thrilling as watching paint dry on a Ferrari manufacturing unit flooring.
As an alternative, we centered on the automobiles that grew to become well-known exactly due to who owned them. These are Ferraris that gained notoriety, broke public sale information, or just grew to become so related to their movie star homeowners you can’t consider one with out the opposite. We’re speaking about relationships that transcended regular automobile possession and entered the realm of automotive folklore.
No technical specs that’ll put you to sleep, no boring horsepower figures you possibly can Google your self. Simply the great things: why these specific pairings mattered, how they modified each the movie star’s picture and the automobile’s legacy, and what made automobile fanatics in all places concurrently jealous and entertained.
Steve McQueen’s Ferrari 275 GTB
Steve McQueen didn’t simply personal a Ferrari 275 GTB/4. He made it an extension of his legendary cool. This wasn’t a storage queen gathering mud and admiration. McQueen drove his 1967 mannequin arduous, and he had it custom-made to his actual specs, together with a sunroof as a result of even the King of Cool appreciated a breeze whereas behind the wheel.
Powered by a 3.3-liter Colombo V12 producing 300 horsepower, the 275 GTB/4 was a critical machine in its day. Completed in Nero black with a tan inside, McQueen’s Ferrari exuded understated sophistication, matching his rugged appeal and love of velocity.
True to kind, McQueen didn’t simply pose with the automobile. He lived in it. The identical man who insisted on doing his personal stunts in Bullitt and Le Mans utilized that philosophy to his driving. Whereas others pampered their Italian exotics, McQueen put his to work.
A long time later, the automobile as soon as crossed the public sale block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale, promoting for $10.1 million. That’s a premium nicely above the standard valuation for a 275 GTB/4, because of its connection to McQueen and its restoration to his unique specs. On the earth of basic automobiles, cool isn’t simply collectible. It’s priceless.
Eric Clapton’s Ferrari SP12 EC
Eric Clapton’s relationship with Ferrari goes deeper than most movie star automobile collections. The legendary guitarist immersed himself within the model’s heritage. His ardour culminated in a uncommon collaboration with Ferrari’s Particular Tasks division, leading to a bespoke creation: the SP12 EC.
Constructed on the platform of the 458 Italia, the SP12 EC fused trendy engineering with retro design cues impressed by Clapton’s beloved 512 Berlinetta Boxer and 250 GT Lusso. The automobile’s styling evoked the spirit of Nineteen Sixties Ferrari, whereas its naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8 delivered 562 horsepower and cutting-edge efficiency.
Commissioning a one-off Ferrari is not any small feat. The Particular Tasks program is famously selective, usually reserved for long-standing shoppers with deep ties to the model. Clapton, having owned greater than a dozen Ferraris, match the invoice. His dedication to the marque helped pave the best way for this distinctive collaboration.
The SP12 EC, reportedly costing round $4.75 million, stands as a testomony to Ferrari’s willingness to mix artistry with innovation for many who really perceive its legacy. It’s a automobile born from real ardour, Italian craftsmanship, and the unmistakable aptitude of a rock icon.
James Coburn’s Ferrari 250 GT California Spider
James Coburn’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider is a reminder of an period when Hollywood exuded glamour and its stars outlined easy cool. Coburn, who gained an Academy Award for Affliction and starred in classics like The Nice Escape, handled his California Spider not simply as a automobile, however as a rolling piece of artwork.
This specific Spider was one among solely 106 constructed, powered by Ferrari’s famend 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine producing 240 horsepower. In 1961, that was sufficient to ship a standout efficiency whereas wrapped in probably the most elegant designs Ferrari ever produced. The open-top format and coated headlights made it immediately recognizable and extremely wanted.
Coburn owned the automobile throughout his peak years in Hollywood, from the Nineteen Sixties into the early Nineteen Seventies, a time when the appropriate automobile was as a lot a press release as the appropriate position. He finally offered the automobile within the mid-Nineteen Eighties.
In 2008, the automobile reappeared at public sale. It was bought by British broadcaster Chris Evans for €7.04 million (roughly $10.9 million), setting a world file on the time for any automobile offered at public sale. The sale underscored how the mix of movie star provenance and automotive rarity can drive values to extraordinary heights.
Evans later offered the automobile for an undisclosed however reportedly larger quantity, reinforcing the concept on this planet of collector automobiles, a well-known previous may be simply as invaluable as mechanical pedigree. And on the subject of the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, rarity and legacy are already constructed into each curve.
Nick Mason’s Ferrari 250 GTO
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason stands out amongst movie star automobile collectors for extra than simply his storage. He owns chassis #3757 of the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO, one among solely 36 ever constructed, and in contrast to most collectors, he really drives it. Repeatedly. At velocity. On racetracks.
Constructed between 1962 and 1964, the 250 GTO represents the top of Ferrari’s early racing legacy. Its 3.0-liter V12 engine produced round 300 horsepower, which can appear modest at present, however paired with a light-weight physique below 2,000 kilos and race-focused engineering, it was a dominant pressure on the observe. Immediately, these automobiles routinely promote for between $40 million and $70 million, putting them among the many most beneficial vehicles ever offered.
Mason bought his GTO in 1978 for £35,000 (roughly $47,000 on the time), a determine that raised eyebrows then however now seems to be one of many best offers in automotive historical past. Slightly than storing it in a climate-controlled vault, Mason races the automobile in classic occasions and makes use of it as Ferrari initially supposed.
His hands-on method has earned him admiration from critical fanatics. Whereas some celebrities purchase Ferraris for crimson carpet appearances, Mason places on a helmet and takes his $50 million automobile to the observe. Relying in your view of preservation versus efficiency, it’s both deeply admirable or barely mad.
Mason’s openness concerning the automobile’s quirks, resembling its tendency to oversteer in moist circumstances, has additional cemented his popularity as a real fanatic, not simply one other rich collector with refined style.
Jay Kay’s Ferrari Enzo
Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay is thought for going all-in, and his method to Ferrari possession is not any exception. His assortment contains a number of prancing horses, however the Ferrari Enzo stands out not only for its rarity, however for the way he used it.
Constructed between 2002 and 2004, the Enzo was Ferrari’s flagship supercar on the time. Solely 400 have been produced, plus one further unit gifted to the Pope. Powered by a 6.0-liter V12 producing 651 horsepower, the Enzo might attain a high velocity of 218 mph. It was one of many quickest highway automobiles on this planet when it debuted.
Jay Kay’s Enzo got here in Rosso Corsa crimson with a black inside, a basic Ferrari mixture that signaled critical intent. What made his possession distinctive was his determination to drive the automobile repeatedly. Not like many collectors who deal with their Enzos as museum items, Jay Kay was typically seen cruising via London, attending automobile reveals, and placing the automobile via its paces.
Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari Enzo and FXX
Michael Schumacher’s relationship with Ferrari went far past typical movie star possession. After main Ferrari to 5 consecutive Method 1 championships within the early 2000s, the corporate didn’t merely hand him a gold watch and name it a day. They gave him an Enzo.
Schumacher’s Enzo was completed in Rosso Scuderia, the identical vibrant crimson used on Ferrari’s F1 automobiles. It was a becoming tribute to essentially the most profitable Ferrari driver in historical past. However Ferrari’s appreciation didn’t cease there.
Additionally they welcomed him into the unique FXX program, a personal membership for elite Ferrari clients who bought track-only automobiles. These autos have been maintained by Ferrari and delivered to particular occasions for his or her homeowners to drive. The FXX was a racing-focused evolution of the Enzo, stripped of road-legal options and engineered for pure efficiency. With 800 horsepower from a screaming V12, it might outrun most Method 1 automobiles on choose circuits.
What made Schumacher’s possession really particular wasn’t simply the automobiles themselves, however what they symbolized. These have been presents from Ferrari to a driver who had elevated the model to legendary standing. When Ferrari provides you automobiles as a substitute of promoting them, you’ve reached the top of automotive status.
The irony is that Schumacher could have been the one Enzo and FXX proprietor who might absolutely exploit their capabilities. He was a world-class driver with the talent to push these machines to their limits. It was like handing Jimi Hendrix a classic Stratocaster and watching magic occur.
Rod Stewart’s Ferrari F50
Rod Stewart’s Ferrari F50 possession completely captured the Nineties mix of rock star opulence and automotive exclusivity. Produced from 1995 to 1997, the F50 was Ferrari’s fiftieth anniversary tribute and a road-going supercar infused with Method 1 expertise. Solely 349 items have been constructed, making it one of many rarest Ferraris ever produced.
The F50 featured a 4.7-liter V12 derived from Ferrari’s 1990 Method 1 engine. It delivered 513 horsepower in a chassis weighing simply 2,712 kilos. Not like trendy supercars outfitted with digital driver aids and luxury options, the F50 was uncooked and demanding. It provided an unfiltered driving expertise that mirrored the vitality of Stewart’s early music.
Stewart’s F50 got here in basic Rosso Corsa crimson, a nod to Ferrari custom that even rock legends respect. What made his possession memorable was how seamlessly the automobile matched his larger-than-life persona. The F50 was daring, dramatic, and unapologetically extravagant—qualities that echoed Stewart’s public picture.
With its carbon fiber building and detachable roof panels, the F50 might rework from a coupe to a targa. This gave Stewart the choice to reach with subtlety or let his signature blonde hair fly within the wind at excessive velocity.
Whereas some critics argued that the F50 was too excessive for on a regular basis use, Stewart embraced its uncompromising nature. It takes a sure sort of confidence to drive a automobile that calls for full consideration, however Stewart had already confirmed his resilience via a long time within the highlight.
Legends Behind the Wheel
These tales present that essentially the most compelling movie star Ferrari possession goes far past shows of wealth. Whether or not it’s Steve McQueen’s easy cool, Eric Clapton’s bespoke fee, or Nick Mason’s dedication to racing, essentially the most memorable pairings occur when real ardour meets Italian engineering excellence.
Proudly owning a Ferrari has all the time made a press release, however the people who really elevated their automobiles understood that the assertion ought to mirror greater than monetary means. It ought to convey an appreciation for craftsmanship, efficiency, and legacy.
From James Coburn’s Hollywood magnificence to Michael Schumacher’s racing pedigree, every of those homeowners introduced a definite perspective to their Ferrari expertise. They didn’t merely acquire these automobiles—they drove them, raced them, custom-made them, and made them a part of their private tales.
That’s what distinguishes true Ferrari fanatics from informal collectors: a deep understanding that these machines have been constructed to be skilled, not simply admired. And when the appropriate particular person connects with the appropriate Ferrari, each can grow to be icons in their very own proper.
