The Top 5 Most Expensive Cars Owned By Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks has been in so many iconic movies during his long career it's hard to keep track of them all. With a net worth of some $400 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), you'd think one of Hollywood's greatest actors might own as many gleaming cars as he has shiny awards in his trophy case.
Hanks always seems to come across as a dulcet-toned, sweater-wearing "Mr. Rogers" from the neighborhood, if you will (a role he not so ironically played in 2019). And his calm and relaxed demeanor is likely a big reason why he's earned the moniker "America's Dad" over the years. So it shouldn't come as a shock that, unlike many other high-profile celebrities, Hanks' car collection — if that's what you want to call it — is more akin to that of fellow thespian legend Harrison Ford rather than flamboyant pugilist Floyd Mayweather's.
To call Hanks' collection anything other than practical, reserved, and almost dull wouldn't be off the mark. In fact, many of Hank's cars are so mundane they really don't warrant going into great detail. For instance, we know he has (or had) a Chevrolet Tahoe, a Toyota Prius, and a RAV4, but have no idea what model year they are. The same can be said for what's likely the most expensive of the bunch, a Mercedes Benz S-Class, which probably cost somewhere in the low $100,000 range (via 21motoring.com).
The Polish Fiat birthday present
You can find those run-of-the-mill cars on practically any street or garage around the United States, which further proves that Tom Hanks is truly just another average Joe. However, there is one car in his collection that, while by no means a show-stopper, is unique from the others and comes with a heartwarming story.
In 2017 the small Polish town of Bielsko-Biala, Poland, gave Hanks a fully restored 1974 Fiat 126p for his birthday (via The Drive). As the story goes, while Hanks was on a trip in Budapest the year before, he started Tweeting pictures standing next to random Fiat 126s. Bielsko-Biala was once the central manufacturing hub for these pocket-sized, low-cost economy cars, long a source of pride for the city.
Monika Jaskolska, a town resident and huge Tom Hanks fan, saw the Tweets and went into action. She eventually gathered enough corporate sponsorship and crowdfunding money for them to buy an old Fiat, restore it, and fly it over to the United States, where Hanks subsequently Tweeted a photo with it inside his house. Millions of these were built (as evidenced by Hanks finding so many to photograph), so they're not exactly rare, but it's a charming story.
Hanks held onto the car until May 2022, selling it at auction for $83,500. He gave all the money to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists those who help care for wounded American military veterans (via Supercar Blondie).
Hanks likes to travel in style
We also know that until August of 2021, Hanks had four other vehicles in his possession but sold them during the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction in Carmel, California, as part of the "Tom Hanks Collection." Again, none of these would garner a second glance if spotted on the open road, and the one that sold for the most wasn't even a car.
Hanks bought a 34-foot Airstream travel trailer in 1993 and used it while filming at least 18 of his movies (via Car and Driver), starting with 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle" and ending with 2017's "The Circle" (via Cloud9). He ordered the trailer with only the kitchen and bathroom pre-installed because he found typical built-ins uncomfortable. Instead, he added a Shabby Chic couch, a standard kitchen table with a butcher block top, a few folding chairs, and a futon in the bedroom (via Bonhams). The Airstream, which was autographed by Hanks, sold for $235,200.
The auction also sold Hanks' 2011 Ford F450 Super Duty Lariat used to tow the Airstream (for $84,000), his 2015 Tesla Model S P85D painted a unique British Racing Green (for $67,200), and his 1980 restomoded Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser built by Jonathan Ward of ICON 4x4, who also made Joe Rogan's Bronco BR (#41). The Toyota sold for $123,200. Considering a new one starts at $195,000, we'd say someone got a steal of a deal on a Hanks-used ICON.