When two identical cars leave their factory, they are, indeed, identical. However, give it 10, 20, 30 years, and those cars may be anything but. History plays a huge role in collector car valuation, and thanks to idolization of celebrity, the name of the person who owned a particular car can generate tens of thousands of dollars in resale value. Of course, it also might not, but that depends on the car. Think Jack White’s CitiCar in the latter case.
It’s no secret that stars love their cars. From Cary Grant to Missy Elliot, the fame and fortune that comes with stardom afford celebrities the apex of motoring experiences, cars with desirability baked in from the day they roll off the assembly line. So, with that in mind, let’s dig into some of these cars and compare them against the general market.
We’ve recently been blessed with two cars of celebrity provenance crossing the online auction block on Bring A Trailer, one owned by an athlete and one by a comedian. Coincidentally, both are German, both sport six-speed manual transmissions, and both come from the decade of post-Cold War optimism. How intriguing is that?
Michael Jordan’s BMW 850i
The original BMW 8 Series is one of those cars its manufacturer could never make again, because you just get a sense they don’t know how. Thundering V8 or sublime V12 up front, up to three pedals in the footwell, and in a rare flourish for BMW, pop-up headlights. It’s generational excellence, so it only makes sense that one of the greatest athletes of all time owned the twelve-cylinder model.
Yep, Michael Jordan’s 1991 BMW 850i recently sold on Bring A Trailer for $108,723, and it’s a one-two punch of condition and provenance. This BMW 850i has only covered 30,000 miles in the past 33 years, sports a seriously pricey set of AC Schnitzer Type 1 multi-piece wheels, and features a gorgeous Mauritius Blue factory paint job.
If you’re thinking you’ve seen 8 Series coupes go for similar money, there’s a reason for that. The 8 Series models bringing in six figures are the 850CSis, which featured BMW’s S70 engine rather than the standard-line M70, along with M-specific VIN prefixes despite not being an M car. The standard 850i models usually don’t go for nearly that sort of money, even if they have low mileage.
Take this 1991 BMW 850i for example. It’s covered 49,000 miles since new, it features tasteful upgrades from reputable brands, it has the coveted six-speed manual transmission, yet it hammered on Bring A Trailer last year for $34,100. In fact, that’s around the high mark for early 850is, at least it was until Jordan’s car came along.
In this case, celebrity provenance added substantial value to this 850Ci, a car that, while special, likely wouldn’t have commanded a six-figure price tag if it weren’t for its history.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Porsche 993 Targa
Well, this is a weird one. Bring A Trailer just auctioned off a 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa without mentioning its celebrity seller, although the celeb himself went on a podcast to provide some context. On the most recent episode of Spike’s Car Radio, comedian Jerry Seinfeld confirmed that this was his Porsche 911 Targa, and it didn’t take long for Bring A Trailer bidders to pick up on that.
The Porsche 911 Targa has always seen lower collector values than its coupe equivalent, largely for unfair reasons. Sure, it’s not as rigid on track and the motorized glass roof on the 993 Targa can be fiddly, but out on the street, an open-air experience with less chassis flex than you’d get in a convertible is a wonderful thing to enjoy.
As with many celebrity enthusiast cars, Seinfeld’s 993 Targa has been exceptionally well-kept and is gorgeously specced for such a demure exterior color. Sure, Polar Silver isn’t the boldest choice out there, but I wholeheartedly approve of the Midnight Blue leather interior, along with the two-piece wheels, aluminum-look dials, and DSP sound system. This 993 has covered just 26,000 miles, has seen one owner from new, and features some decent service history. The final price? A whopping $164,000.
That is a Bring A Trailer record for stock 993 Targas, with the only example eclipsing Seinfeld’s in price being a heavily-modified Ruf car that’s basically a glass-top Turbo. The next-closest 993? Well, that had 9,000 miles on the clock and sold for $127,000 in late 2021. The Seinfeld bump is real, folks.
Chris Farley’s 1995 Dodge Viper
How about something more dangerous than dating a 17-year-old as a 39-year-old comedian? Well, move over Seinfeld 993, because it’s time to take a look at Chris Farley’s Viper. Where we’re going, we don’t need airbags, traction control, or anything that isn’t exclusively focused on going fast, up to and including cabin space.
I’m not a big dude, and even I find it tight in the cockpit of an early Viper. Kudos to Farley for making it happen. Granted, this machine only has 11,000 miles on the clock, but there’s evidence Farley actually drove it, as a paparazzi photo of the late comedian pulled over by police is included in the ad. In the words of Chief Keef, “Well it’s a fast car, that’s why I bought it.”
This black 1995 RT/10 hammered for $80,000 last year on Bring A Trailer, and while that isn’t a record, it’s an impressive result in the context of the Viper market.
The first-generation Viper market is a weird one, because the examples that go for the most money are almost always early cars, almost always red, and almost always have virtually no mileage on them. However, thanks to the popularity of Bring A Trailer, we have a direct comparison down to the model year and color. This 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 sold little over a month before Farley’s, is also black, and had 28,000 miles on the clock at the time it was auctioned. It brought in a healthy $50,000, but that’s not quite on the level with Farley’s $80,000 example.
Burt Reynolds’ Pontiac Trans Am
When you think of Burt Reynolds, the first thing you think about after his glorious mustache is Smokey and The Bandit. Kicking off in 1977, the film series linked Reynolds with black-and-gold Trans Ams and sticking it to the good ol’ boys for all eternity. Now that’s one hell of a legacy.
As it turns out, Reynolds bought an iconic 1978 Trans Am in 2016, and turned it into one hell of a pro-touring build. I’m talking about an 8.2-liter V8, a Tremec five-speed manual, QA1 suspension all around, Wilwood brakes, the works. This car just oozes cool, and several years after Reynolds died, it made it onto Bring A Trailer.
When all was settled and done, Burt’s own Trans Am sold for an astonishing $255,000. Yep, more than a quarter of a million dollars. That’s a lot of money, but it’s also justifiable for the ultimate pro-touring car made for the ultimate male sex symbol of the 1970s.
For context, here’s another pro-touring 1978 Pontiac Trans Am that sold on Bring A Trailer at roughly the same time as Reynolds’ car. It features an LS3 V8 punched out to 416 cubic inches and a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, it has even fancier chassis hardware underneath, yet it sold for $155,000. That’s $100,000 less than Reynolds’ Trans Am.
The King Of Sweden’s BMW M5
There’s more to celebrity than insane sports skills or a brilliant mind for comedy. Some people are just born into the spotlight. Remember the King of Sweden BMW M5 that hammered on Bring A Trailer last year? It’s yet another example of star power adding value to a collector car.
Resplendent in Malachite Green over gold wheels, this 1987 BMW M5 is one of the best-specced E28 M5s ever. Crazier still? It’s been properly driven, with 252,000 kilometers on the clock. That’s about 157,000 miles, no spring chicken at all. Really, driving the hell out of it is the best way to own an M5. They aren’t garage queens, they’re open road crushers.
Despite the high mileage and some surface rust underneath, the King of Sweden BMW M5 hammered for an astonishing $140,000. That’s the most an E28 M5 has ever gone for on Bring A Trailer, full stop.
The next-most valuable E28 M5 to sell on the platform? A U.S.-spec car that hammered for $90,536 at the peak of 2022 collector car craziness. We’re talking about nearly $50,000 in value due to the spec and provenance of the King of Sweden car. You could buy an entire beater M5 and sort it for that money.
Steve McQueen’s Honda CL77 Scrambler
Surprise! Bikes can be just as affected by celebrity glow as cars. Legendary actor Steve McQueen has a complicated legacy, but two things are certain: He absolutely loved cars and bikes, and his public-facing persona was the template of 1960s cool (though James Garner was the realest deal). Get ready for the most dramatic case of celebrity owner value inflation here.
Back in August of 2023, one of McQueen’s old bikes turned up on Bring A Trailer in rather nice shape. It’s a humble yet eager Honda CL77 Scrambler, a parallel-twin bike with great styling and plenty of pep. When the final bell rang, this little motorbike hammered for a wild $115,000.
If we look at directly comparable bikes, jaws are going to hit the floor. Here’s another well-kept 1967 CL77 Scrambler that sold on Bring A Trailer roughly two months before McQueen’s old bike, and it went for $9,500. We’re talking about a 1,110 percent jump in value due to prior celebrity ownership here. It takes a lot to render me speechless, but this does the trick alright.
Star Power
Does celebrity ownership increase the value of a car? Generally, yes. Of course, some celebrities are better to associate with than others. I can’t imagine too many people lining up around the block for a car formerly owned by Harvey Weinstein, but so long as a celebrity isn’t alleged to have done some awful thing, their car may have some extra appeal on the used market.
However, other than a good story, what’s the difference between a celebrity-owned car and an identical non-celebrity owned car? They both likely drive the same, the clerk at the DMV won’t give a toss either way, and to anyone who doesn’t know the story, they look exactly the same. If you want to buy a celebrity-owned car because you think it’s cool, that’s cool. However, you can often save a bundle by buying something without such wild provenance. Before signing on the dotted line, ask if the celebrity history positively affects how you enjoy the car. If it does by a lot, go ahead. If you’re doubtful, you’re likely better off just saving the cash. Now, where’s John Voight’s LeBaron hiding?
(Photo Credits: Bring A Trailer)
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What Steve McQueen’s bike went for isnt too surprising.The bit that stuns me is that it’s a dull Honda trail bike.I could see one of his Husqvarnas going for that price but not this cheapo bike.It’s nuts!
“The original BMW 8 Series is one of those cars its manufacturer could never make again, because you just get a sense they don’t know how.”
Damn shame, Damn fine design, the proportions are so right. Been tempted by some ruff examples in the past, but knew they require 3X asking to get right. *sigh*
I want to be like Mike in that I’d like to be able to afford a BMW 850 AND keep it running.
The summer between junior and senior year of college, I worked at Motor Werks where Mr. Jordan bought this 850. We had a black one in the foyer, and multiple people were keen to tell me that Jordan had just bought one there very similar to it. I didn’t ever see him there but I heard he would come in after hours.
I did meet Walter Payton there once, he was a nice as everyone says. He and I spent a few minutes talking about racing, because he was into that at the time. Football never came up. This has nothing to do with the article but I like telling that story.
Glad you shared the Walter Payton story. I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for being an all-time great.
I’m following a Youtube rebuild of the “Pretty sure that’s a Lambo” Bugatti Veyron. It has to be the most famous Veyron in the world and I’m wondering if it’ll be worth extra for that, even though it’s been submerged in a lake.
Whoever buys it needs to get vanity plates; “LAMBO”
Something to me feels belittling about gushing over celebrity. Like they are more special than the other people around me or me individually.
Now if the car itself has historical importance, like race pedigree then I get it. But just because some celebrity sat their ass in it and drove it around doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe a fun fact or story to share, but to think it makes it somehow special is kinda ridiculous.
While in great shape, Reynolds’ TA doesn’t look right on those oversized wheels (yeah, get off my lawn!)
I’m old, cheap, and cynical: I’d rather have a beater I can drive the wheels off of than a piece of memorabilia I’d worry about getting scratched. I can’t think offhand of a case where I’d pay more for celebrity provenance
pffl! just get some paint protection film 😉
When I say, ‘drive the wheels off’ I mean along the lines of cos-playing a WRC driver on fire trails & forest service roads: my Subaru has both front & rear clips torn here&there, has been thoroughly peppered with gravel, and sports reasonably impressive West Virginia Pinstripes.
Self-healing ain’t gonna get it: that stuff would have to be able to regenerate! 😉
Oh, I get it. Just like ya don’t run the Barkley in lululemon.
Guess they don’t call you TOSSABL for nothing! 😀
As a second-gen owner, my opinion is that anything larger than 17’s doesn’t suit these cars. Pretty sure these are 18’s. I have 17’s on my track car that I would show you for comparison but we can’t do pics here.
Sell it the wrong way though, and celebrity provenance may reduce its sale price.
In 2003, the actor Guy Pierce donated his very nice 1962 Valiant to sell at a charity auction, and it made only $4000. Even 20 years ago, a nice clean example like his should have been worth at least twice that, and probably would have sold for a lot more if it was marketed to collectors of old Valiants like me instead of being marketed more as Guy Pierce memorabilia – the very people who would have bid it up probably had no idea it was up for sale!
Maybe it was owned by Guy Pierce the periodontist.
Thanks for drudging up sad memories from my childhood and turning them into present realities.
Somewhere John Stockton is tooling around in a used Honda Odyssey.
That ain’t right.
There’s something off-kilter about this world.
The only time I even considered something with celebrity provenance, it was the MacGruber Miata (which is more film provenance than celebrity), and only because claiming to need lessons on driving a manual would mean driving lessons from Will Forte. The fact that it was a charity auction didn’t hurt.
I’m glad that went for more than I was willing to spend, since it’s good for the charity.
It’s Jordan, game six, not Game six, Jordan. Still pretty good though.
I’m just dreaming about myself being the one who wins the Jordan 850. Then I would shine it up and detail it so nice, then take it to some sort of Jordan meet and greet event, thrilled at the proposition of how happy Jordan will be to see his old car.
I’ll approach him, all gushing and jittery. I’ll tell him I bought his old car. Had to re-mortgage but that’s how much I love him for being the GOAT.
I’ll excitedly ask him to take a picture with me and the car, explaining how much it would mean to me before he cuts me off mid-sentence: “Fuck no, I ain’t taking a picture with no bitch ass motherfucker!” Maybe at that point one of his security detail will give me the move along shove.
I know it’s weird but that’s my dream.
I would always buy a Steve McQueen motorcycle before any celebrity owned vehicle. That man loved his motorcycles. Steve made the best motorcycle documentary of All time (On Any Sunday).
For UK Autopians of a certain age: the first family car I can remember, our Austin A35, was sold to Annie Nightingale. This was in 1968(ish) and somehow the registered address was unchanged. My dad used to get notices of her unpaid parking tickets, sort of reverse celebrity provenance.
She died a few hours ago 🙁
I just saw the news. What a horrible coincidence. She was the real thing.
Alice Cooper once farted in my Pinto.
It made no difference in what I was able to sell it for. YMMV.
I just thought it was cool that Jordan’s 850i was a true enthusiast spec one. Correct engine, correct transmission, excellent color combination. Even without the celebrity tie in I’d imagine it still would’ve fetched a pretty penny.
While the McQueen and Garner taxes are well known and exorbitant, I’ve always wondered about that of one of their classic colleagues, James Coburn. He was a Ferrari guy but more low key about it.
I just want to note how proud I am of MJ for not doing the gangster window tint that many of his fellow sportsmates did. You could actually wave to him when you saw him on the road. I more often saw him driving Mercedes, but every so often he’d was in of his other cars. He drives Baller cars, but thankfully doesn’t drive like a Baller.
when you saw him in the BMW, did he use his turn signals? 😛
No idea. I was staring and gawking like any other fan would every time I saw him. He would politely wave back and smile then zoom away if you were annoying him. However, most other drivers and fans were exceedingly cool to him on the road. He was local royalty and treated as such. We were all in awe of the king. Basically, absolutely no one wanted to be the asshole who got in a wreck and hurt him, myself included.
We live real close to the old Berto Center where they practiced which is where I would more often see him and many other Bulls players (especially Pippen at the Baker’s Square when we went a lot). A couple of the centers drove full size GM vans because those were the only vehicles they could get the seat back far enough to fit behind the wheel (some couldn’t afford or didn’t want to spend Baller money for their daily drivers which I deeply respected).
We’re Kraftwerk’s “biggest fans” lol. There’s no metric for such a claim but I’ve heard it enough to laugh about it. We bought Florian Schneider’s immaculate 1949 Beetle last year and shipped it from Düsseldorf to Tampa FL.
Americans neither know nor care who Kraftwerk are, but our British and German counterparts had fainting fits and pearl clutching over our purchase of this very significant car. I’m thrilled to own it and still feel disbelief when I see it parked in our garage.
https://linktr.ee/1949kafer
I think most Americans at least know Autobahn, but basically nothing after that
Trans Europe Express has to be fairly well known I bet.
(for my teutonic electronica, I’m more a Tangerine Dream guy mostly b/c I’m Gen X and it was everywhere in the ’80s)
A favorite and completely forgotten film called Miracle Mile has a genius Tangerine Dream score. Check it out if you’re unfamiliar.
That is such a great cite! Haven’t seen it (or thought about it) in years, but it still haunts me now that you bring it up. A great setup, a sweet love story, and best of all, it completely follows through on its premise.
I absolutely need to watch it again now – thank you!
Tangerine Dream? One hit wonders. They only put out 146 albums.
Then again, I have a copy of Grobschnitt’s Rockpommel’s Land in my album collection, so there’s that.
Sounds like Tales From Topographic Oceans if Klaus Schulze was at the helm. Hmmm. Not … sure … if … good …
Krautrock is so hit or miss. I’m more a Neu / Roedelius / CAN guy.
I still have my Computer World album, along with a compulsory copy of Autobahn. I’d guess that a lot of people would recognize The Model if they heard it again, but would never be able to identify the band.
No chance. Even most late boomers/early Gen Xers who call themselves music fans probably don’t know Kraftwerk, let alone those older or younger.
See my reply to Ranwhenparked: you’re absolutely korrekt. A minority of Gen-X and Boomers remember Kraftwerk and far far less among those younger.
Meanwhile – we bought tickets today for two nights of their discography show in Los Angeles. They’re still selling out concert venues despite their obscurity here as those in-the-know really care.
https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/2909/2024-05-21/kraftwerk
I can personally assure you that “most Americans” have not heard of Kraftwerk based on talking to people at VW shows with his car surrounded by LP jackets and a sign detailing their significance in modern music. It’s disconcerting and somewhat depressing. This applies to all age groups though Millenials and Gen-Z are especially unlikely to know or care. I know a Boomer who rants about The Grateful Dead who had no idea what a “Kraftwerk” is despite the band’s many decades of relevance (sigh).
Conversely, go in any grimy UK pub and ask some slobbering punter and they’ll reel off at least a few facts about the band.
Likely true, and also sad. Maybe Gen. X would at least know Electric Cafe; now is the time on Sprockets when we dance. Now I’m going to be humming this all day.
This deserves its own article
We hung for a bit with Jason Torchinsky at last year’s Amelia Island Concours and discussed our ’49 Beetle as it sat amidst throngs of people there to ogle Delahayes and Bugattis. At no point did Jason suggest we pen a story for The Autopian nor did he seem to know anything about Kraftwerk.
I wish he’d asked. Perhaps my barely concealed man-crush on him distracted him from asking?
At minimum, Kraftwerk was mentioned in the Simpsons, so it’s not unheard of for average Americans.
“…just drivin around in Jon Voight’s car…”
I still wonder what Barbara Mandrell’s skateboard would actually be worth
Came here for this