Owning a Ferrari is often seen as joining an exclusive club, where the price of admission starts high and only continues to rise from there. But when celebrities enter the picture, the stories become even more compelling. While wealth can open the door to a Ferrari dealership, it often takes a unique personality to turn a prancing horse into a cultural icon.
These aren’t just tales of luxury purchases. They’re stories of passion, personal style, and sometimes unconventional choices that helped elevate both the celebrity and their Ferrari into something larger than life.
Love Stories Too Real for Hollywood
This is not a complete list of every celebrity who ever happened to own a Ferrari. We could list everyone who has ever owned a Rolex, too, but that’d be as exciting as watching paint dry on a Ferrari factory floor.
Instead, we focused on the cars that became famous precisely because of who owned them. These are Ferraris that gained notoriety, broke auction records, or simply became so associated with their celebrity owners that you can’t think of one without the other. We’re talking about relationships that transcended normal car ownership and entered the realm of automotive folklore.
No technical specs that’ll put you to sleep, no boring horsepower figures you can Google yourself. Just the good stuff: why these particular pairings mattered, how they changed both the celebrity’s image and the car’s legacy, and what made car enthusiasts everywhere simultaneously jealous and entertained.
Steve McQueen’s Ferrari 275 GTB
Steve McQueen didn’t just own a Ferrari 275 GTB/4. He made it an extension of his legendary cool. This wasn’t a garage queen collecting dust and admiration. McQueen drove his 1967 model hard, and he had it customized to his exact specifications.
Powered by a 3.3-liter Colombo V12 producing 300 horsepower, the 275 GTB/4 was a serious machine in its day. Delivered new in a gold/bronze metallic shade, it was later repainted in McQueen’s preferred Chianti Red with a black interior, McQueen’s Ferrari exuded understated sophistication, matching his rugged charm and love of speed.
True to form, McQueen didn’t just pose with the car. He lived in it. The same man who was known for doing some of his own driving on film sets applied that philosophy to his driving. While others pampered their Italian exotics, McQueen put his to work.
Decades later, the car once crossed the auction block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale, selling for $10,175,000 at RM Auctions Monterey in 2014. That’s a premium well above the typical valuation for a 275 GTB/4, thanks to its connection to McQueen and its restoration to his original specifications. In the world of classic cars, cool isn’t just collectible. It’s priceless.
Eric Clapton’s Ferrari SP12 EC
Eric Clapton’s relationship with Ferrari goes deeper than most celebrity car collections. The legendary guitarist immersed himself in the brand’s heritage. His passion culminated in a rare collaboration with Ferrari’s Special Projects division, resulting in a bespoke creation: the SP12 EC.
Built on the platform of the 458 Italia, the SP12 EC fused modern engineering with retro design cues inspired by Clapton’s beloved 512 Berlinetta Boxer. The car’s styling evoked the spirit of 1960s Ferrari, while its naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8 delivered 562 horsepower and cutting-edge performance.
Commissioning a one-off Ferrari is no small feat. The Special Projects program is famously selective, typically reserved for long-standing clients with deep ties to the brand. Clapton, having owned more than a dozen Ferraris, fit the bill. His dedication to the marque helped pave the way for this unique collaboration.
The SP12 EC, reportedly costing around $4–5 million (commonly reported around $4 million), stands as a testament to Ferrari’s willingness to blend artistry with innovation for those who truly understand its legacy. It’s a car born from genuine passion, Italian craftsmanship, and the unmistakable flair of a rock icon.
James Coburn’s Ferrari 250 GT California Spider
James Coburn’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider is a reminder of an era when Hollywood exuded glamour and its stars defined effortless cool. Coburn, who won an Academy Award for Affliction and starred in classics like The Great Escape, treated his California Spider not just as a car, but as a rolling piece of art.
This particular Spider was one of only 106 built, powered by Ferrari’s renowned 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine producing about 280 horsepower. In 1961, that was enough to deliver a standout performance while wrapped in one of the most elegant designs Ferrari ever produced. The open-top layout and covered headlights made it instantly recognizable and highly sought after.
Coburn owned the car during his peak years in Hollywood, from the 1960s into the early 1970s, a time when the right car was as much a statement as the right role. He eventually sold the vehicle in the mid-1980s.
In 2008, it sold at RM’s ‘Leggenda e Passione’ auction for €7.04 million (about $10.9 million at the time), setting a world record at the time for any car sold at auction. The sale underscored how the combination of celebrity provenance and automotive rarity can drive values to extraordinary heights.
Evans later sold the car for an undisclosed but reportedly higher amount, reinforcing the idea that in the world of collector cars, a famous past can be just as valuable as mechanical pedigree. And when it comes to the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, rarity and legacy are already built into every curve.
Nick Mason’s Ferrari 250 GTO
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason stands out among celebrity car collectors for more than just his garage. He owns chassis #3757 of the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO, one of 36 commonly cited ‘true’ 250 GTOs (some sources count 39 including related 330 GTO variants), and unlike most collectors, he actually drives it. Regularly. At speed. On racetracks.
Built between 1962 and 1964, the 250 GTO represents the pinnacle of Ferrari’s early racing legacy. Its 3.0-liter V12 engine produced around 300 horsepower, which may seem modest today, but paired with a lightweight body under 2,000 pounds and race-focused engineering, it was a dominant force on the track. Today, these cars are often valued in the tens of millions, commonly cited in the ~$50–$70 million range in recent years, placing them among the most valuable automobiles ever sold.
Mason bought his GTO in the late 1970s, often cited as 1977, for about £35,000 (approximately $47,000 at the time), a figure that raised eyebrows then but now appears to be one of the greatest deals in automotive history. Rather than storing it in a climate-controlled vault, Mason races the car in vintage events and uses it as Ferrari originally intended.
His hands-on approach has earned him admiration from serious enthusiasts. While some celebrities acquire Ferraris for red carpet appearances, Mason puts on a helmet and takes his $50 million car to the track. Depending on your view of preservation versus performance, it’s either deeply admirable or slightly mad.
Mason’s openness about the car’s quirks, such as its tendency to oversteer in wet conditions, has further cemented his reputation as a true enthusiast, not just another wealthy collector with refined taste.
Jay Kay’s Ferrari Enzo
Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay is known for going all-in, and his approach to Ferrari ownership is no exception. His collection includes several prancing horses, but the Ferrari Enzo stands out not just for its rarity, but for how he used it.
Built between 2002 and 2004, the Enzo was Ferrari’s flagship supercar at the time. Ferrari built 400 Enzos; the 400th and final car was gifted to Pope John Paul II and later sold at auction. Powered by a 6.0-liter V12 producing 651 horsepower, the Enzo could reach a top speed of 218 mph. It was one of the fastest road cars in the world when it debuted.
Jay Kay is closely associated with a black Enzo (notably configured in Nero with a green interior), a classic Ferrari combination that signaled serious intent. What made his ownership unique was his decision to drive the car regularly. Unlike many collectors who treat their Enzos as museum pieces, Jay Kay was often seen cruising through London, attending car shows, and putting the car through its paces.
Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari Enzo and FXX
Michael Schumacher’s relationship with Ferrari went far beyond typical celebrity ownership. After leading Ferrari to five consecutive Formula 1 championships in the early 2000s, the company didn’t simply hand him a gold watch and call it a day. Schumacher was allocated (and is widely reported to have been gifted) an Enzo by Ferrari.
Schumacher’s Enzo was finished in Rosso Scuderia, the same vibrant red used on Ferrari’s F1 cars. It was a fitting tribute to the most successful Ferrari driver in history. But Ferrari’s appreciation didn’t stop there.
They also welcomed him into the exclusive FXX program, a private club for elite Ferrari customers who purchased track-only cars. These vehicles were maintained by Ferrari and brought to special events for their owners to drive. The FXX was a racing-focused evolution of the Enzo, stripped of road-legal features and engineered for pure performance, with over 800 horsepower from a screaming V12.
What made Schumacher’s ownership truly special wasn’t just the cars themselves, but what they symbolized. These were gifts from Ferrari to a driver who had elevated the brand to legendary status. When Ferrari gives you cars instead of selling them, you’ve reached the pinnacle of automotive prestige.
The irony is that Schumacher may have been the only Enzo and FXX owner who could fully exploit their capabilities. He was a world-class driver with the skill to push these machines to their limits. It was like handing Jimi Hendrix a vintage Stratocaster and watching magic happen.
Rod Stewart’s Ferrari F50
Rod Stewart’s Ferrari F50 ownership perfectly captured the 1990s blend of rock star opulence and automotive exclusivity. Produced from 1995 to 1997, the F50 was Ferrari’s 50th anniversary tribute and a road-going supercar infused with Formula 1 technology. Only 349 units were built, making it one of the rarest Ferraris ever produced.
The F50 featured a 4.7-liter V12 derived from Ferrari’s 1990 Formula 1 engine. It delivered 513 horsepower in a chassis weighing just 2,712 pounds. Unlike modern supercars equipped with electronic driver aids and comfort features, the F50 was raw and demanding. It offered an unfiltered driving experience that mirrored the energy of Stewart’s early music.
Stewart’s F50 came in classic Rosso Corsa red, a nod to Ferrari tradition that even rock legends respect. What made his ownership memorable was how seamlessly the car matched his larger-than-life persona. The F50 was bold, dramatic, and unapologetically extravagant, qualities that echoed Stewart’s public image.
With its carbon fiber construction and removable roof panels, the F50 could transform from a coupe to a targa. This gave Stewart the option to arrive with subtlety or let his signature blonde hair fly in the wind at high speed.
While some critics argued that the F50 was too extreme for everyday use, Stewart embraced its uncompromising nature. It takes a certain kind of confidence to drive a car that demands full attention, but Stewart had already proven his resilience through decades in the spotlight.
Legends Behind the Wheel
These stories show that the most compelling celebrity Ferrari ownership goes far beyond displays of wealth. Whether it’s Steve McQueen’s effortless cool, Eric Clapton’s bespoke commission, or Nick Mason’s commitment to racing, the most memorable pairings happen when genuine passion meets Italian engineering excellence.
Owning a Ferrari has always made a statement, but the individuals who truly elevated their cars understood that the statement should reflect more than financial means. It should convey an appreciation for craftsmanship, performance, and legacy.
From James Coburn’s Hollywood elegance to Michael Schumacher’s racing pedigree, each of these owners brought a distinct perspective to their Ferrari experience. They didn’t simply collect these cars, they drove them, raced them, customized them, and made them part of their personal stories.
That’s what distinguishes true Ferrari enthusiasts from casual collectors: a deep understanding that these machines were built to be experienced, not just admired. And when the right person connects with the right Ferrari, both can become icons in their own right.