Most expensive classic celebrity cars to be sold at auction – including Elvis’s 1969 Merc & John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce
THESE are the top ten most expensive celebrity cars ever to be sold at auction, with some going under the hammer for millions of pounds.
Pricey entries include John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce, Elvis’ Mercedes and the 1966 Batmobile.
An honourable mention also goes to the ECTO-1 from the 1984 classic Ghostbusters, which sits in 11th place and just misses out on the list of iconic cars.
10- Herbie The Love Bug
The VW Bug from the Herbie film series, which began in 1968, was tragically abandoned in the Disney backlot for years.
It had been painted blue over it’s iconic white body and had to undergo a full restoration.
The car eventually sold for $126,500 in 2015.
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It even cam with the gag oil pump which squirted oil at a traffic marshal in the beloved film.
9- Elvis’ Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman
The King of Rock drove a relatively simple car despite his enormous wealth and lavish taste.
His 1966 Merc Pullman was reportedly driven by the musical god and his entourage through much of his life.
It was sold for $750,000 earlier this year.
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8- Phil Berg’s Duesenberg Model J
While the name Phil Berg is not widely known, he was a top talent agent in the 1930s working with some of the biggest stars of his day.
Berg’s clients includes Clark Gable and Judy Garland.
At the time, the Model J was the most powerful and luxurious motor on the market.
It won Berg $25,000 ($1.3 million today) in a race against famous comedy troupe the Marx Brothers.
The car sold in 2012, also for $1.3 million.
7- Clark Gable’s Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
One of the previous entrant’s most famous clients, Gable was a megastar of 20th Century cinema.
Best known for his leading role in the iconic 1939 film Gone With the Wind, he drive a sleek 1955 Merc 300SL with flashy gullwing doors.
Dubbed the ‘sportscar of the century’ it was a fitting ride for one of film’s all-time greatest.
It went under the hammer for $2 million in 2013, after a full restoration.
6- John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce
From a movie superstar to a titan of music, the next entry is the Rolls-Royce Phantom V that belonged to Beatles frontman John Lennon.
In true ’70s style it features a custom psychedelic yellow paintjob with funky orange and green designs.
The colourful car sold in 1985 for £2.3 million, at that time the most expensive car sale ever.
5- Fred Astaire’s Ferrari 750
Continuing the theme of bright yellow cars is dancing star Fred Astaire’s 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder.
He drove the sporty two-seater in 1959’s On The Beach.
Despite only 40 ever being made, the car won nearly two dozen races throughout the 1950s.
It was auctioned in 2011 for $2.5 million
4- George Barris’ Batmobile
What began its life as a 1966 Ford Futura went down in movie legend after being heavily modified and appearing as the Batmobile in the 1966 Batman film.
Created and owned by design Genius George Barris for the film, it was driven by Adam West in the title role of the DC classic.
It was sold off for £4.6 million in 2013.
However, Barris does own another copy of the vehicle which is kept in his Hollywood, California workshop.
3- James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5
The Aston Martin DB5 used by Her Majesty’s top superspy in 1964’s Goldfinger would top many Brit’s list of all-time best movie cars.
Two DB5s were used in the film which is considered one of the best in the Bond franchise.
Tragically one was stolen in 1977 and never recovered.
The other, though, was sold to a private collector in 2014 for $4.6 million.
Sadly for the collector, it did not come with the gadgets Bond used in the film.
2- James Coburn’s Ferrari 250 GT
While perhaps not as much of a household name as Gable or Lennon, Oscar winner Coburn appeared in more than 70 films and 100 TV series.
The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder was one of his large collection of fast and expensive cars.
The model is a popular one amongst rare car collectors, helping to push the price even higher.
In 2008 it set the new world record when it sold for £11 million.
1- Steve McQueen’s Porsche 917k
That record was then shattered in 2017 when it sold for a whopping $14 million.
The King of Cool was not only and Oscar winning actor but also a keen racing driver.
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His 1970 Porsche 917k had been owned by legendary racing driver Jo Siffert before McQueen bought it himself.
After rising to fame, the Magnificent Seven star used the alias Harvey Mushman when he entered races in order to avoid too much press attention.