Car Collectors: Big Names, Hot Cars

Car collectors are a unique breed of collector. Considering that most Americans tend to own one or two cars, car collectors pride themselves in collecting items that are big and expensive, as well as unique and rare.

Because cars, especially rare models, tend to be expensive, car collectors need to have large sums of money to be able to afford them. Consequently, it’s no surprise that some of the most well-known car collectors and classic car collectors those who have made millions and have lots of money to spare. Some of the most well-known car collectors include actors, comedians and popular businessmen.

The famous late-night talk show host Jay Leno is sometimes amiably referred to as “Hollywood’s Biggest Car Collector.” Along with hosting NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Jay Leno also has a regular column in the Popular Mechanics magazine and another TV show, appropriately titled “Jay Leno’s Garage.” Jay Leno owns over 100 cars and 70 motorcycles in a collection at a Burbank warehouse that is the size of a football field.

Unlike most classic car collectors who get cars solely for show, Jay Leno drives his cars often. Another unique trait of Leno as a car collector is the fact that he has been known to drive a different car to work every day. Famous cars in Jay Leno’s collection include:

While he started his fashion career by designing suits, over the years, Ralph Lauren has branched out and currently designs all types of clothing fashions and perfume. Today, the name of Ralph Lauren is synonymous with high fashion. Along with fashion, Ralph Lauren is obsessed with car collecting. In fact, he brings his two passions together at some of his runway shows by also displaying his classic car collection, including a special set of cars currently at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Notable Cars in the Ralph Lauren classic car collection include:

Very few comedians will contribute to pop culture as much as the now-legendary Jerry Seinfeld. While Jerry Seinfeld will probably be best remembered for the now iconic “Seinfeld” TV show, he also started in stand-up and is now an avid car collector.

Unlike most classic car collectors, whose collections tend to be a mix of everything, the Jerry Seinfeld classic car collection revolves around Porsches. In fact, he has over 47 of them! Another mark of his fascination with Porches is that Jerry Seinfeld gave his wife a 1958 Porsche 1600 Speedster as a wedding gift.

Although Jerry Seinfeld tends to keep his classic car collection out of public sight, we do know that some of his classic car collection includes the following Porsches:

David Gallagher became a household name for work on the WB show “7^th Heaven” as the character “Simon Camden.” He is also very fascinated with cars, which he attributes to his mechanic dad.

Although David Gallagher may be considered a classic car collector in training, his classic car collection has several impressive models, including:

Like Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen has not only made a significant contribution to pop culture comedy, but is also an avid car collector. In fact, Tim Allen incorporated his obsession with classic cars into his famous TV show entitled “Home Improvement.”

Tim Allen’s classic car collection includes: