The True Value Behind Shaquille O'Neal's Impressive Car Collection
After first entering the NBA draft in 1992, Shaquille O'Neal quickly established himself as one of the sport's best athletes. With stints at Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, Shaq's rise to the top earned him a considerable fortune, although he became known for spending vast amounts of money as quickly as he earned it. Since his retirement from the league in 2011, Shaq has turned his attention to commentating, as well as entering a number of lucrative side ventures to keep the cash coming in.
It seems he's always busy, whether he's becoming the new voice of Alexa or promoting a crypto exchange whose collapse landed him in a messy (and potentially very costly) lawsuit. He still seems to find time to keep adding to his car collection though, not that he needed to. Shaq's fleet of exotics and custom cars is already enough to make most of his NBA peers green with envy, and the combined value of these cars is more than many players will make over their whole careers. O'Neal often puts his cars up for sale once he's lost interest in them, but he nearly always makes up for it by having a few more on order at any given time. Here's a few of his best from over the years.
Ford F-650 SuperTruck
At seven feet and one inch tall, Shaq has always found it difficult to find cars big enough for him to drive. He found a novel solution in 2017, though, when he picked up a Ford F-650 built by SuperTruck (via Motor Authority). As one of his many custom vehicles, the truck was built exactly to Shaq's tastes, and evidently, to his size as well. The F-650 is usually built as a commercial truck, but the team at SuperTruck decked it out with all of the interior luxuries usually found on a top-spec version of one of Ford's smaller pickups. Think plush heated seats, leather upholstery, and a cutting-edge infotainment system.
Despite its non-standard interior, the truck's powertrain is all standard, including the 6.7-liter Powerstroke diesel V8 engine. It makes 330 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to haul around Shaq and anything he wants to bring with him. The mammoth pickup reportedly cost the NBA star $124,150, a little extra over the truck's regular retail price thanks to his choice of optional extras. That might seem like a lot for a pickup, but it's nothing compared to some of the eye-watering sums that O'Neal has spent on his other vehicles.
Rolls-Royce Phantom
On the subject of spending eye-watering sums of money, Shaq is a big fan of Rolls-Royces, although according to him, one dealer in particular wasn't so keen on him. In an interview, he claimed that he was walking around a dealership one day, asking how much everything cost. This annoyed the dealer, who asked O'Neal whether he could afford any of the cars he was looking at. Shaq was (understandably) offended, and ordered three Rolls-Royces on the spot out of spite.
He instructed the dealer to drop them all off at his house, and move the seats back so he could comfortably fit in them all first. The trouble was, he never actually used any of them, leaving him with three pointless new Rolls-Royces and over a million dollars down for his troubles. Clearly, this isn't the sort of thing that bothers a man like Shaq though, as in 2022, he reportedly decided to throw in a 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom as a freebie alongside his $9.3 million mansion, which he was looking to get rid of (via The Sports Rush). There are very few people on Earth that ever find themselves with more Rolls-Royces than they know what to do with, but clearly, Shaq is one of those exclusive few.
Vanderhall Venice Roadster
With a starting price of just over $30,000, the Vanderhall Venice Roadster is a lot cheaper than most of Shaq's other cars, but it's no less unique. Technically, it isn't actually a car at all, but rather an autocycle, since it's only got three wheels, no doors, and no roof. It's powered by a 1.5-liter, inline-four engine, but since it's so light, it's faster than you'd think. According to Motorcycle Cruiser, it's also surprisingly roomy for longer-legged drivers, which is probably why Shaq was able to fit in it without customization despite his size.
O'Neal was first spotted in the Venice Roadster in the Venice Roadster in 2018, driving around Los Angeles while listening to the late XXXTentacion. He's not the only star to be seen driving a Vanderhall, as The Blast reports that actor, comedian, and fellow car enthusiast Jamie Foxx had been seen cruising around Malibu in one a few months earlier.
Ferrari F355 Spider
While he might be able to fit in a Vanderhall with little trouble, Shaq's large frame meant that he wasn't going to be able to sit inside a Ferrari F355 Spider without some additional help. As such, he had his Prancing Horse's convertible roof permanently removed, and had a custom tonneau cover fitted instead. The standard fuel tank was also moved to the front of the car to give O'Neal some extra legroom. Shaq bought the car during the peak of his professional playing career in the late '90s, right around the time he'd been christened "Superman" for his superhuman abilities on the court.
As a nod to this freshly-acquired nickname, Shaq had the headrests of his F355 Spider embroidered with Superman logos. He also fitted racing harnesses and installed a custom sound system, presumably one powerful enough to be heard over the roar of the Ferrari's 3.5-liter V8 engine. After several years under his ownership, the car eventually found its way onto Bring a Trailer in 2020. Listed with no reserve, it ended up selling for $65,000.
Vaydor Roadster
Shaq has made several appearances in movies over the years, including in 1997's "Steel" and 2014's "The Lego Movie." It seems he's also a fan of movie star cars, as he picked up a Vaydor Roadster in 2018, keeping it for a few years before listing it on eBay in 2021. The Vaydor might look like a purpose-built supercar, but it's in fact a kit car built on the underpinnings of an Infiniti G35. It's most famous for its appearance as the Joker's car in 2016's "Suicide Squad" (via Business Insider).
With an estimated build cost of around $40,000 in total, the Vaydor costs a lot less than any new supercar. The G35's generously-sized engine bay allows a number of engines to be swapped in, with most builders opting for LS, 2JZ, or LT powerplants. Suffice it to say, the NBA star didn't pick up a wrench and build the kit himself. Instead, he had Vaydor's Florida auto shop do all the work for him, before stopping by to pose with a picture of the team and his new ride for the company's official Instagram page.
Chevrolet G1500 Van
While it was sold by Shaq many years ago, his custom Chevrolet G1500 Van still features all of its original modifications, including a bespoke interior made by none other than Louis Vuitton. The van has appeared for sale several times since it was first disposed of by Shaq, first at Barrett-Jackson and then most recently in 2012 where it was listed as residing in Montana. Among its myriad other upgrades were a full audio system with an HD movie projector, a DVD player, and built-in Xbox.
It also featured Superman logos both inside and outside of the car, including on the wheels, the headrests, and various bits of interior trim. Air suspension completed the van's custom look. Even though it had a celebrity ownership history and is undoubtedly one of the most unique Chevy vans out there, it didn't prove to be a quick seller. The listing originally asked for $45,000 for the luxury van, but the seller ended up having to reduce it to $30,000 with offers accepted before it sold. Clearly, it was a little too customized for most people's tastes.
Hummer H2
With his long-running love for American vehicles and penchant for supersized cars, it's no surprise that Shaq bought and customized a Hummer H2 in 2005. He was clearly a big fan of the gas-guzzling SUV, as he even brought it to GM's invitation-only All-Car Showdown in 2005, hoping to win the award for the "King of Bling" (via MotorTrend). He missed out on the win, but since he was also made the host of the event, he didn't seem to mind too much.
The list of attendees showing off their custom GM vehicles was a who's-who of A-List stars at the time, with Ashton Kutcher, Ja Rule, and Dwyane Wade also competing for the title. With huge chrome wheels, chrome trim, and presumably a fully decked-out interior, Shaq's H2 was just as over the top as you'd expect a celeb-owned Hummer from the Noughties to be, and then some.
Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible
One of Shaq's odder automotive creations is his 2016 Dodge Challenger R/T, which he had custom built into a convertible by a Florida-based drop-top specialist. He also had Hemi decals added to the sides of the car to resemble a classic Plymouth Barracuda, and of course, the seats were modified to give him enough legroom to comfortably drive the car. Despite the cosmetic modifications, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine was left stock, as were all the car's other oily bits.
Shaq only owned the car for a few years before it was listed for sale by North Carolina-based RK Motors, and much like his mansion, the R/T came with some extra freebies on the side. Except, instead of a free Rolls-Royce, the Dodge only came with a full-size cardboard cut-out of Shaq and some photos of him having it customized. It only had 5,000 miles on the clock when it came up for sale, and it was in all-round pristine condition. Its new owner should have years of enjoyment left before the car needs much work, that is, as long as they've got long enough legs to even reach the pedals.
Polaris SlingShaq
Shaq's taste for custom cars doesn't just stretch to those on four wheels, but those on three wheels, too. His "SlingShaq" Polaris SlingShot, debuted at the 2018 SEMA show, was evidence of that, with its ice-blue LED accent lighting and custom seating and interior. The build was masterminded by Floridian outfit Underground Autostyling, and packed a full custom sound system, like many of his other vehicles.
That sound system featured 18 speakers altogether, including 10-inch and 12-inch subwoofers, and a 28-inch overhead sound bar for crystal clear audio throughout the whole car. The seats were finished in white, diamond-quilted leather for maximum opulence, with both the front and rear passenger seats decked out in an identical finish. It's not the only Polaris Shaq owns, as he also commissioned a wine-colored supersized slingshot from veteran chop shop West Coast Customs in 2017. That car featured less bling than its successor but came covered in Superman logos, in reference to Shaq's most famous nickname.
Lamborghini Gallardo
By now, it should be pretty clear what kind of cars Shaq likes, and his Lamborghini Gallardo is no exception to the norm. O'Neal had the Gallardo stretched out to accommodate his seven-foot tall frame, with the work completed by Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, who make parts for the aerospace industry when they're not customizing cars. The doors, roof, side windows, and of course the chassis all had to be extended, making the car 12 inches longer than a standard Gallardo.
However, the shop's goal was for this now to be noticeable, with the CEO stating that they "relied on our aerospace and coachworks divisions to make sure Shaq could fit in the car, but the naked eye could not detect any differences from the original Gallardo." While it's arguably impossible to hide any modification like this from a keen-eyed enthusiast, at the very least the shop tried not to butcher the Italian exotic's original lines too much.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Convertible
West Coast Customs has been responsible for designing and building many of Shaq's custom creations, with his S-Class Convertible being one of the most notable. The biggest modification is the addition of suicide doors at the rear, which the shop claims no other S-Class has ever been fitted with. The idea for the car reportedly came about when O'Neal saw a digital concept posted online, and challenged the shop to recreate it in reality.
The car was originally a sedan, but the shop chopped the roof off and fitted it with a convertible cover. Larger white and chrome wheels were also added in place of the S-Class' usual rims. Despite it being so unique, the shop's owner Ryan Friedlinghaus claims that Shaq quickly got bored with the car, eventually selling it back to West Coast Customs. He claims to have built around 40 cars over the years for the NBA star, and regularly gets called up to make more of them.
Dodge Charger Hellcat
As far as 50th birthday presents go, a Dodge Charger Hellcat is pretty much up there with the best of them. That's exactly what O'Neal bought himself for reaching the milestone, but being Shaq's car, it wasn't stock (via autoevolution). It came with a unique silver and red paint job, including a "Diesel Dog Mafia" logo painted over the hood. The car also features butterfly doors to add some exotic flair, but he didn't share whether it had seen any power upgrades under the hood.
Even if it hadn't, the car's stock 6.2-liter V8 engine is still plenty fast enough, with around 700 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque on tap. Alongside his Charger Hellcat, Shaq also owns a Dodge Demon, which he claims has beaten Teslas, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris head-to-head (via Fadeaway World). Clearly, he's a big fan of the Dodge brand, so it'll be interesting to see if he's still as loyal when the brand's trusty V8 engine is replaced by an electric powertrain in the upcoming Charger Daytona EV muscle car.
Ford Bronco II
Not every car in Shaq's collection is flashy or exotic — in fact, his first car was nothing of the sort. Before hitting the big time, Shaq drove a Ford Bronco II, a smaller version of the Bronco which was based on the underpinnings of the Ranger pickup truck. He might have liked it at the time, but the SUV was actually a bit of a rolling death trap, and cost Ford a fortune in lawsuit settlements after it emerged that it was unusually prone to rollovers.
A total of 260 deaths were recorded because of the Bronco II's tendency to roll, several times higher than any other car in its segment, reported the Wall Street Journal. Eventually, the fallout from the scandal cost Ford over $113 million, with over $70 million of that going as a settlement for a class-action lawsuit. Thankfully, Shaq never came to any harm driving his Bronco II, or else one of basketball's most legendary players might have never had his time to shine on the court.
Jeep Wrangler
Another product of the team at West Coast Customs, Shaq's Jeep Wrangler might look like a regular two-door, but it's actually sat on a Wrangler Unlimited chassis to give the NBA player an extra 20.6 inches of room, according to MotorTrend. To make the car look more natural, the front and rear doors were fused to create one long door on each side, and the front seats were set back significantly to take advantage of the extra room.
The Jeep also features various exterior modifications, including aftermarket off-road lights, custom bumpers, and Fuel wheels. Out of context, it's a pretty bizarre vehicle, but compare it to the rest of Shaq's collection, and it's arguably one of his more tame builds. The car was first shown off in 2013, and considering how fast he gets bored of cars, it's probably already long gone from his collection. Although, Shaq most likely had another equally unique and costly car ready to fill the space in his garage as soon as it left.