The new owner of Twitter has some pretty good taste...
Few people on this planet are as fascinating as Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX as well as the proud new owner of Twitter, but you might not know he’s also a bit of a gearhead. The man has pushed all kinds of interesting and controversial technologies and ideas (like free speech). Love or hate him, the man is definitely a revolutionary and doggedly marches to the beat of his own drum, which is admirable.
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When it comes to cars, Musk’s tastes might surprise you since he doesn’t just own electric or eco-friendly options. Also, it's worth noting we're not sure how many of these rides Musk still owns since he's been selling off a lot of his material possessions. We do hope he's got the car collection stashed in some garage or warehouse somewhere.
1978 BMW 320i
He came from a humble background and that’s clearly reflected in his first car, a BMW 320i. This was before the days of Bimmers being ultra status symbols like they are today, so it wasn’t nearly as fancy as some would expect. And while it’s not considered the most driver-focused vehicle made by the Bavarians, it probably whet the appetite of the young entrepreneur for more fun behind the wheel. Sadly, the car was crashed by an intern for Musk’s first company, Zip2, and the wheels literally fell off.
1997 McLaren F1
Famously, Elon Musk took delivery of what at the time was the fastest production car in the world, the McLaren F1, as documented by a CNN camera crew. The man was a rising star in Silicon Valley, having sold his first company for big bucks, then making a big splash starting what would become PayPal. To celebrate, he bought himself a McLaren F1 and his then-fiancé seemed quite happy with the situation (see the video). Later, Musk decided he wanted to make an electric car which would eclipse the performance of his F1, showing the man is never content.
Sadly, the feat of Musk’s McLaren F1 wasn’t pretty. Hitting an embankment at presumably a high rate of speed, the man launched the supercar into the air where he said it spun “like a discus.” It suffered serious damage and wasn’t insured.
1976 Lotus Esprit “Wet Nellie”
Musk is a self-avowed James Bond fan, not uncommon for someone of his age. He grew up watching the movies, including the 1976 Lotus Esprit 007 drove called Wet Nellie. The British sports car transformed into a small submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me. Since it was long before the days of CGI, filmmakers had to actually build an Esprit without wheels and other modifications for the underwater shots. Musk fell in love with the movie car and in 2013 used a representative to bid on it at auction, winning with a bid of almost $1 million.
2012 Porsche 911 Turbo
Musk has admitted he absolutely loves the Porsche 911, considering it one of his favorite cars of all time. Considering Porsche has tried taking aim at Tesla with the Taycan electric car, we’re not sure if everyone at the German automaker feels the same way about him. Regardless, the man is a fan of the Turbo, which is one of the most potent 911 models available in any given generation.
2006 Hamann BMW M5
You might say Elon Musk has a thing for BMWs since he owns more than one. However, pretty much anyone would be impressed by this M5 tuned by Hamann, which squeezed a monstrous 603-horsepower from the factory 5.0-liter V10, a feat which was impressive back when the car was new. It also shows that Musk absolutely has a need for speed, explaining why he keeps pushing Teslas to new heights in flat-out acceleration.
1920 Ford Model T
You might be surprised to see a classic like Tin Lizzie in Musk’s collection, but it proves the man has an appreciation for the past. A gift from a friend, some feel it’s appropriate the man they think will revolutionize how humans travel owns a car which also revolutionized personal transportation in its day.
1967 Jaguar E-Type
Like so many others, including supposedly Enzo Ferrari, Musk fell in love with the Jaguar E-Type when he first laid eyes on one at the young age of 17. It became his dream car and the man resolved to buy one if he ever could afford it, which of course he reached that point rather early and did purchase the Jag. Funny enough, the British roadster broke down on the way home from the dealership, thus began Musk’s struggle between man and machine. In fact, he said of the Jaguar, “that one was like a bad girlfriend – it kept breaking down on me and causing all sorts of trouble.”
2008 Tesla Roadster
While many feel a little squeamish at the fact Tesla started out using a Lotus and heavy batteries for the first production vehicle, the Roadster, Musk found a great way to put his personal Roadster to use. Loading it onto the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, it was deployed into Earth’s orbit in February of 2018 with Starman sitting inside. The electric car and its driver are still spinning around the planet today, making for some interesting space junk.
Tesla Cybertruck Prototype
Of course Musk owns the funky pickup made by Tesla, which sports an extremely controversial design, built-in bed ramp, and other interesting features. We just hope Musk’s doesn’t also have busted windows because that would be embarrassing.
Tesla Model X
When Musk drives with his kids (he has 6 of them now) the man says he uses his Model X SUV with the dramatic gullwing doors. We’re assuming he has the third row option in there, otherwise not everyone would fit.
Tesla Model S Performance
Interestingly, it’s the Model S Musk has revealed he drives the most. Considering many find it to be the most comfortable and accommodating of all Teslas that’s not much of a surprise.
