Famous Celebs and Their Classic Cars

Famous Celebs and Their Classic Cars (Photos & Videos)

Celebs classic rides, The world of the A-list celebrity is all about glitz and glamour, red carpet award ceremonies, expensive restaurants and exotic vacations. Plus, the cars they drive aren't too shabby, either. But for some celebs, a car is more than state-of-the-art technology and heart-racing performance. It's about heritage and image. We've tracked down paparazzi fodder who laugh in the face of eco-cars and turn their nose up at the ostentatious, and who have opted instead for a step back in time for their daily runabouts. We've provided some clues about each celeb. See if you can figure out who owns each ride..

kate moss beauty owns this ride

The celeb clues: She's an iconic runway model-turned-style icon who once dated bad-boy rocker Pete Doherty , is praised for her cutting-edge fashion sense, and who has a pretty good taste in cars. Here she is squeezing out of a tight parking space in her classic Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
The ride: The luxury sedan was first produced in 1965 and cost just over $11,000. It was initially planned to be called the Silver Mist, progressing from the Silver Cloud that preceded it, but this was later changed to Shadow as the German translation of mist is manure.

patrick dempsey

The celeb clues: There's no question this "Grey's Anatomy" star and Hollywood A-lister, known sometimes as "McDreamy, " is something of a serious motorhead. When he's not acting or flying around a racetrack, he can often be seen driving around L.A. in a Lotus Exige or Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
The ride: He also has a soft spot for classic Jags, including a gorgeous XK120 and this stunning E-Type. Born in the '60s, the E-Type picked up where the XK150 left off by offering stunning looks and an exhilarating drive in a typically British package. It's even rumored the great Enzo Ferrari referred to it as "the most beautiful car ever made."

arnold schwarzenegger

The celeb clues: The Hollywood hardman-turned-politician may be a keen advocate of "driving green," but he's also a fan of old-school motoring, too. This action-movie star was married to a descendent of the Kennedys until earlier this year when it was revealed he had fathered a love child with the family's longtime maid.

The ride: When he's not driving around in his fleet of gas-guzzling Hummers, he can be spotted driving up and down the Hollywood boulevards in a classic Excalibur. Built in the '60s in Wisconsin, it was modeled after the 1928 Mercedes SS but was fitted onto a Studebaker chassis and featured a 5,362 cc Chevy engine. The latter grew to a 7,500 cc V-8 in later models.

matthew mcconaughey

The celeb clues: This Hollywood A-lister is known mostly for his romantic-comedy roles and had a cameo on "Sex and the City." In the mid-2000s, he dated another A-list actress before her marriage to actor Javier Bardem. He's now married and has two children.
The ride: His classic car is the Chevy Camaro Z28. While most movie stars are opting for eco-friendly hybrids, this star has gone for the other end of the scale with this muscle car designed to take on the highly successful Ford Mustang. The Z28 differs from the standard Camaro by featuring an air-induction hood scoop with an intake door that opens under full throttle; oh, and a big Z28 sticker on the side.

kate moss

The celeb clues: This supermodel married a rocker from the band The Kills this year and has a daughter from a previous relationship. See photos of her wedding.
The ride: This nimble little MG Midget is handy for nipping around the city. The Midget in question is the first-gen version that featured a 948 cc engine with a lowly 46 horsepower, meaning it was good for a top speed of just 87 mph and capable of reaching 62 mph in a leisurely 18.3 seconds.

elle macpherson

The celeb clues: There appears to be a theme with supermodels and classic British cars. First Kate Moss with her Rolls and MG, and now this Australian model, whose nickname underscored her enviable physique. She's known for having appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition multiple times.
The car: She was spotted being driven around London in her classic, drop-top version of the Aston Martin DB5 convertible, which was strictly limited to 123 cars in its two-year production run between 1963 and 1965. Of those, only 19 were made in left-hand drive.

jay leno

The celeb clues: He is one of the most prolific celebrity motorheads with a collection of cars that would shame most motor museums.
The ride: One of the cars in his collection includes this 1908 White steam-powered car. Quite possibly the first people mover of its kind, the White touring car could seat seven, and was one of the first official cars of the president of the United States. Needless to say, the birth of the gas-powered combustion engine meant demand for steam cars waned, with the last models rolling off the production line just two years after its launch.

The celeb clues: Here's America's leading talk show host proving that classic cars aren't designed to sit in a garage gathering dust.
The car: He's been snapped behind the wheel of his 1930 Duesenberg J Walker Legrande Torpedo Phaeton, cruising around Los Angeles. It was one of the biggest, fastest, most powerful and luxurious cars of its time. Around 481 cars were made before production ceased in 1937.

prince charles

The celeb clues: It's not often you can say supermodel Elle Macpherson and this member of the royal family have much in common, but it appears they have a similar taste in cars. He is also the ex-husband of one of the most famous women in the world before her untimely death.
The car: Here he is driving his classic Aston Martin DB5 convertible to the Cartier International Polo day in Windsor. Very James Bond. This also is the vehicle his son recently drove on his wedding day, which was only the most streamed event of the year.

ringo starr

The celeb clues: if there was ever a band that epitomized the '60s, it was the Beatles. The owner of this car is a living Beatle.
The car: If there was ever a car that epitomized the '60s, it was the MINI, so it only makes sense that the Beatles star and the MINI were united for the unveiling of a tribute to a deceased Beatle at the 2008 Chelsea Flower Show.

Keanu Reeves

The celeb clues: The Hollywood actor might be most famous for his role in an iconic action-movie trilogy which offers a take on what the future might hold.
The ride: He clearly likes his old-school Porsches, as he

Multitasker Pharrel Williams — one-half of the producing duo the Neptunes, front man for the band N.E.R.D and co-creator of the fashion lines Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream — is known for his distinct personal style at least as much as for his musical prowess, and said style extends to his rides. Not only does he have a $455,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with a supercharged 5.5L V8 engine parked in his driveway, he also counts a $1 million, carbon-fiber, Formula 1-inspired Ferrari Enzo (top speed: 221 mph) for his daily errands about town.

Lauren Conrad is a TV star from the MTV shows "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills." While you can easily say her roles lack, well, substance, you cannot say the same for Conrad's ride. It is full of it, in a good way. She rides around Los Angeles in the incredible Audi R8 supercar. The midmounted monster — which goes zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, delivers 317 lb-ft of torque and has a top speed of 187 mph — is also favored by macho types such as English soccer ace Robbie Fowler and actor David Hasselhoff. So, while seeing a tiny, blond, SoCal reality TV star tooling around in this powerhouse is a bit disconcerting, it's also, dare we say it, totally awesome! It sure beats Paris Hilton's cringe-inducing pink Bentley.

While the Jonas Brothers' music may appeal to the tween girl set, the car Nick Jonas drives comes straight out of a ZZ Top video. As soon as he turned 16, the Disney-produced guitar player and vocalist was spotted cruising around his Toluca Lake, Calif., neighborhood in a shiny black 1968 Ford Mustang Cobra with white racing stripes. Although we doubt the young crooner spent hours rehabilitating the classic muscle car getting grease under those manicured nails, we have to give him credit for one badass ride.

For at least one nod to practicality on this list, we turn to "Walk the Line" actress Reese Witherspoon and her vehicle of choice. Rather than the ever-popular Toyota Prius favored by Hollywood's eco warriors, or the MINI Cooper (a hit with "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart), this petite thespian and mother drives to and fro in a massive GMC Yukon Hybrid. And while the SUV's gas mileage is not exactly at Prius levels (it gets about 21 mpg on the highway), it sports a monster V8 engine and can tow up to 6,000 pounds. What a famous Hollywood actress commanding $15 million to $20 million per picture needs with that kind of power is unclear, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.

While Fergie is probably the most recognized member of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am is definitely the most politically minded, as proven by his bizarre "hologram" in a ratings stunt with CNN's Anderson Cooper after the 2008 presidential election. Nonetheless, the musician puts his environmental politics into action with his choice of car, the Tesla Roadster. Based on the super-sporty Lotus Elise, this pure electric racer does zero to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. It develops 248 horsepower and gets 244 miles per charge. It's so sporty, in fact, that another famous musician and Tesla owner — Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers — has said that it makes his Porsche feel "like a golf cart."

Normally, music superstar Beyoncé Knowles is spotted with the type of entourage that suggests she doesn't spend too much time actually driving herself anywhere. And that's a shame, considering that on her 25th birthday, her then-boyfriend (now husband), rapper and music mogul Jay-Z, surprised her with a 1959 Rolls-Royce convertible. No definite details as to model — though as a convertible it's most likely a Silver Cloud. Regardless, it's hard to argue with a classic luxury automobile reported to be worth a cool million bucks as a "congratulations for being one year older" gift.

Who knew being obnoxious on overhyped network TV contests was so lucrative? One look at the Bugatti Veyron that "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell ponied up $1.7 million for tells us everything we need to know about the financial prospects of pomposity. With a top speed of more than 253 mph, the Veyron holds the title of the fastest (and most expensive) street-legal car on the road today. Consequently, Cowell can sit in judgment of all other motorists around him, anywhere in the world. Even more proof that nice guys finish last: Cowell purchased the Bugatti within a few days of picking up a $434,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Noted black-on-black (aka "murdered out") luxury vehicle enthusiast and sometime-international soccer star David Beckham has been spotted driving around Los Angeles in a sleek, blacked-out Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. The ride's color scheme matches his $400,000 customized Porsche 911 Cabriolet Turbo and jacked-up Jeep Wrangler, and rounds out the luxury lineup in his garage, which also includes a Ferrari F430 and a V10 Lamborghini Gallardo. His wife, Victoria — aka Posh, former Spice Girl turned Marc Jacobs muse and international fashion plate — plays the ivory to Becks' ebony in a white Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

Jay Leno isn't your typical celebrity car owner. He is actually a true automotive enthusiast extraordinaire. His collection of rare and odd vintage rides is legendary. But, as a true gearhead, Leno is just as impressed by speed and power as by quirk and collectability. Take his EcoJet prototype, for instance. Leno helped design the one-of-a-kind supercar (with help from his own Big Dog garage team and the design gurus at General Motors). It is essentially a modified Corvette Z06 that runs on biodiesel and is powered by a 650-horsepower LT-101 jet engine, similar to the ones found in Coast Guard helicopters. The team is still working out the kinks to get it on the road, but in the meantime you can see (and hear) Leno and team firing it up at his official car Web site.

American fashion icon Ralph Lauren's car collection has everything from the ultraclassic (Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe) to the iconic (Porsche 550 Spyder) to the bizarre (Jaguar XKD) — and those are just some of his cars from 1955! It's hard to choose favorites among such a select stable, but if we could abscond with one of his incredible rides, chances are it would be the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Only 39 of these unmistakable Italian beauties were produced between 1962 and 1964, and they are widely considered to be one of Enzo Ferrari's greatest achievements — if not the greatest. And they're priced accordingly: 250 GTOs (top speed: 170 mph) have sold at auctions over the years for anywhere from $2 million to more than $15 million.