Seeing a supercar is, for many people, now easier than ever. Long-standing celebrity favorite brands like Lamborghini saw record sales in 2022, and as a result, coming across an Urus or Huracan in most major cities is an increasingly common occurrence. However, there are still plenty of exotic rarities out there that are much more special to see in the wild and are guaranteed to turn heads whenever they do make public appearances.
Many of the most renowned celebrity car collectors have one or even several of these jaw-dropping gems hidden in their garages, from iconic classic muscle cars to near-priceless French pre-war classics. Sourcing, buying, and then maintaining them all takes considerable amounts of time and money, requiring a collector to be not only very wealthy but also a genuinely passionate petrolhead. They might all have extensive collections of other cars, but it’s safe to say that these ten cars all stand out among the rest — even for their well-heeled famous owners.
Lewis Hamilton’s Shelby Cobra 427
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Lewis Hamilton is the most successful Formula 1 driver in history and the only driver to rack up more than 100 wins throughout his career. That success has helped him amass a nine figure net worth, with a significant portion of that attributed to his world-class collection of rare and exotic cars. Among his collection is a Mercedes-AMG Project One, a Ferrari 599 SA Aperta, and two LaFerraris. However, his 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 stands out as particularly special even in such an enviable collection.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Hamilton said that he took the car to Carroll Shelby to check its condition. Shelby confirmed it was all-original, even reportedly saying it was the best-kept example he’d seen in a while. Just a month after he inspected the car, Shelby passed away, making it quite possibly the last Cobra to be personally vetted by its creator. Hamilton said that, since the 1966 car was so original, he bought a second 1967 model to drive, as he wanted to keep the ’66 as pristine as possible.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Bugatti Centodieci
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Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s car collection is just as exceptional as his skills on the field, but the crown jewel of his garage has to be his Bugatti Centodieci. The one-of-ten hypercar came with a reported price tag of $9 million and sports a number of improvements over the Chiron on which it’s based. Aside from the visual overhaul, the Centodieci also loses 44 pounds from its curb weight, mostly thanks to the liberal use of carbon fiber. Downforce is also increased thanks to the racing-inspired rear wing, and the quad-turbo W16 engine gets a bump in power to 1,600 horsepower.
Reports of Ronaldo ordering a Centodieci first surfaced in 2020, and since then, he’s been pictured driving it several times. In March 2023, he was swarmed by fans while driving the car in the Spanish capital of Madrid, but not before stopping to sign autographs and pose for pictures with them.
Jay Leno’s McLaren F1
Comedian and TV host Jay Leno’s car collection is very well documented thanks to “Jay Leno’s Garage,” and he owns so many gems that singling out one is tricky. However, his McLaren F1 is certainly a highlight, if nothing else because he’s one of the few famous faces to own one that hasn’t crashed it. Elon Musk infamously wrecked his example while showing off to his business partner, and Rowan Atkinson crashed his F1 — not once but twice — before selling it on.
Leno has thankfully avoided such mishaps, although, as he proved in his review of the car for his YouTube channel, he’s not afraid to wring as much power out of it as possible on the road. While it’s extremely unlikely Leno will decide to sell the car, if he ever did, he could expect a healthy return on his initial investment. In 2021, a clean example sold for more than $20 million, and with such a renowned owner, Leno’s example might well fetch that or more if it ever crossed the auction block.
Bill Gates’ Porsche 959
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There are very few collectors who can claim to have wanted a car so much that they convinced the U.S. government to change the law to get their hands on it. In fact, there’s only one collector that springs to mind — Bill Gates,
In the late 1990s, Gates successfully lobbied for the introduction of show and display rules in order to bring his Porsche 959 stateside. He ordered the car new in the late ’80s but it was impounded by customs for not complying with American regulations. After many years where the car sat in limbo, Gates and a group of other collectors petitioned the Clinton government to introduce an exemption for cars deemed special in some way. The 959 qualified for the exemption and so could finally be brought to America.
Although Gates’ campaign paved the way for other 959s to be imported, there are still very few examples in the U.S., meaning that they’re guaranteed to turn heads when they do make public appearances. Although he’s mostly left his petrolhead days behind as he focuses on climate issues, Gates is still very much a Porsche enthusiast and revealed in 2020 that he’d bought a new Taycan EV as his daily driver.
Gordon Ramsay’s Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta
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When Gordon Ramsay’s not busy running his multi-Michelin star chain of restaurants or chastising chefs on “Hell’s Kitchen,” he’s a keen Ferrari collector, with several million-dollar specials in his garage. One of his most valuable cars is his LaFerrari Aperta, which he unofficially unveiled on “Top Gear” after showing off his freshly acquired key. The spider version of the LaFerrari was produced in even smaller numbers than the coupe, with only Ferrari’s elite customers given the chance to purchase one.
Ramsay has since been seen driving the car around central London, with it sporting a custom license plate with his initials. However, it seems Ramsay is mostly content to keep it as a garage queen –- at its most recent inspection in early 2023, it sported a mere 120 miles on the odometer. Alongside his LaFerrari Aperta, Ramsay also reportedly owns a Monza SP2 and an F12TDF.
Ralph Lauren’s Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic
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The most expensive car in Ralph Lauren’s collection is his Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, which is just one of four examples ever made. Out of those four, only two have survived in mostly original condition — one was totaled in a collision and later rebuilt, and another, known as La Voiture Noire, was mysteriously lost during the Second World War and hasn’t been seen since.
The Atlantic Lauren now owns was originally sold to a British businessman and eventually ended up in the collection of JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford. The fashion magnate bought it back in 1988 for an undisclosed sum, and it’s remained under his ownership ever since. Putting an exact value on the Bugatti is nearly impossible as it’s so unique, but it’s been previously speculated that the La Voiture Noire could be worth up to $100 million. It’s far from the only ultra-valuable car in Lauren’s collection, either –- among other gems, he owns a Ferrari 250 GTO, Jaguar XKSS, and a Ferrari 275 GTB Spyder.
Jeremy Clarkson’s Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser
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Over the course of more than 30 years spent reviewing cars, Jeremy Clarkson has driven more of them than he could ever remember. However, his car collection is relatively slim: The Sunday Times, which Clarkson writes for, lists just four cars currently in his garage. Of those cars, the most unique of the bunch is his Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser, an ultra-luxury limousine that was a favorite of world leaders and celebrities throughout its time in production.
Production of the 600 began in 1963 and continued through to the early ’80s. The car featured a number of engineering innovations, including the extensive use of hydraulics for things like the seat adjustment and windows. Each one was built entirely by hand and Mercedes claims that it took 50 days to create just one car. The many unique systems in the 600 make it both complicated and very expensive to maintain, but very few cars, even today, can match it for all-out grandeur.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Porsche 356/2 Gmünd
Throughout his show, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Jerry Seinfeld has shown off plenty of unique cars, but a 2015 episode showcasing his personal Porsche 356/2 Gmünd proved why it’s one of his most head-turning purchases. The episode featured fellow comedian and car collector Jay Leno, but the star of the show was Seinfeld’s all-original classic Porsche.
It was constructed in 1949 and is chassis number 40 of the original 52-car run, being hand-built by Ferry Porsche’s team at the automaker’s original factory in Gmünd, Austria. It was Porsche’s first production car under his own name, and today finding an original example is both an extremely difficult and very costly task. However, noted Porsche enthusiast Seinfeld had both the time and resources to dedicate to finding one -– although finding time to actually drive it is a different matter, as the comedian reportedly has one of the world’s largest Porsche collections.
Manny Khoshbin’s Bugatti Chiron Hermès
The Bugatti Chiron is already an extremely exclusive car, but entrepreneur Manny Khoshbin decided it wasn’t exclusive enough and enlisted fashion house Hermès to give his Chiron a luxury makeover. The resulting car is arguably one of the best looking Chirons on the road, with Hermès chalk white paint and the brand’s signature fabrics adorning the interior. It’s not the first Hermès-customized car that Khoshbin owns, either –- he also owns a Pagani Huayra that’s been similarly outfitted.
The car reportedly took three years to design and build, with a number of clever references to the brand that designed it. The front grille, for example, features a repeating pattern of H symbols, while Hermès’ horse print fabric features throughout the interior. Khoshbin’s Chiron regularly makes appearances on his YouTube channel, where he documents his enviable car collection, as well as giving insight into how much time and money it takes to maintain his fleet. Spoiler alert — it’s an awful lot of both of them.
Justin Bieber’s Rolls-Royce Wraith
While the other cars here have been jaw-dropping because of their stunning designs, rarity, or history, we’re finishing with something that’s jaw-dropping for an entirely different reason. Justin Bieber is well known for putting his own spin on his cars, from his earliest collecting days when he modified a Smart Fortwo into a so-called Swag Car right up to his most recent efforts. Throughout the years, West Coast Customs has remained his go-to shop for modifications, and the infamous chop shop is responsible for one of his latest divisive creations, a rebodied Rolls-Royce Wraith.
It was created at Bieber’s request after the singer saw Rolls-Royce’s 103EX concept and wanted a similar car of his own. It reportedly took three years to design and build, with West Coast Customs fabricating all of the unique kit in-house. While it’s certainly an acquired taste, it’s hard to argue with its ability to turn heads even in a row of supercars. Bieber wanted a unique car and certainly got one, even if it won’t be winning any beauty contests anytime soon.
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