5 Cars Owned By Paul McCartney That Prove He Has Great Taste
Put yourself in Paul McCartney's shoes; it's the swinging Sixties, London feels like the center of the pop music universe, and you're a member of the most famous band of all time — of course you're going to have a pretty cool car collection.
We're talking Aston Martins and Lamborghinis, along with a must-have Mini (personalized by a coachbuilder, of course) and a classic Land Rover. In fact, all four "Beatles" were into their cars — from John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce to George Harrison's McLaren F1 — and all drove Minis customized by Radford, the British coachbuilder that was recently revived by F1 champion Jenson Button.
Being a "Beatle" at the height of his powers through the 60s and 70s, McCartney's garage wasn't just a place for cool cars. These are vehicles with stories that still endure today — tales like how McCartney came up with "Hey Jude" in his Aston Martin DB6, recording the lyrics to a built-in, reel-to-reel recorder.
Then there's the Lamborghini that was, allegedly, driven into a garden pond by his partner Linda Eastman, says GQ.
Mini Cooper S DeVille
From its showroom in Kensington, West London, Harold Radford & Co earned a name for itself as a premium British coachbuilder, modifying Bentleys and Aston Martins for its wealthy clients. Its creations included a run of 12 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brakes, one of which sold in 2019 for $1.8 million.
Radford also modified Minis, with a set of four commissioned for "The Beatles" by their manager Brian Epstein as a sign of his appreciation for their success. Ringo Starr's Mini featured a modified hatchback so he could store his drum kit in the trunk, while McCartney opted for a Mini Cooper S DeVille finished in California Sage — a green also used by Aston Martin.
Pictured above, McCartney's Mini also featured Aston Martin taillights, power windows, a custom wood dashboard, and leather upholstery. The car, which was powered by a 1,275cc Cooper S engine, was used frequently by McCartney and shipped to the U.S. when the singer embarked on his solo career.
The car sold at Worldwide Auctioneers' Auburn Auction in Illinois in September 2018 for £182,000 ($220,000).
Aston Martin DB5
The first of two Aston Martins owned by Paul McCartney, his DB5 was delivered new on September 22, 1964 — just five days after the cinematic release of "Goldfinger," starring James Bond's gadget-packed DB5. McCartney owned the car for six years, says Bonhams. It was originally finished in Sierra Blue with a black interior, and the unusual addition of a record player and musical note-styled patterns in it. The auction house, which sold the car in 2017 for £1,345,500, also says how, when new, the car reportedly had musical note-styled patterns in the interior stitching as well.
The DB5 changed hands a couple of times over the following decades, including a stint in the ownership of British radio DJ and car collector Chris Evans, who gave the car a new license plate of "64 MAC." He sold the Aston Martin at auction in 2012, Bonhams says, and it was later fully restored.
Although instead of retaining McCartney's specification, the paintwork was switched to Silver Birch, matching Bond's DB5, and the interior was re-trimmed in red. Despite the drastic changes, the record player specified by McCartney was re-commissioned and, as of its last auction appearance in December 2017, was said to be in working condition.
Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 Coupé
One of only 247 produced, a Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 Coupé joined McCartney's garage in 1967. Lamborghini's second production car, it came after the 350GT of 1963, and ahead of the legendary Miura. With seating for four, the 400GT was powered by a 3,929cc V12 engine producing 324 horsepower, says Bonhams, which first auctioned McCartney's car for £122,500 ($148,223) in 2011.
Seven years later, and having lived in climate-controlled storage at Lamborghini's Hong Kong dealership, the car again appeared at a Bonhams auction. Only this time it carried an estimate of £400,000 to £500,000 — four times its previous price — and failed to sell.
Despite only being Lamborghini's second production car, the 400GT was well-received. Reviewing the car in 1967, the UK's Autocar magazine said it was "better than all the equivalent exotic and home-bred machinery in this glamorous corner of the fast-car market." The review, cited by the 2018 Bonhams auction listing, concluded: "To achieve this level of performance without noise, fuss, temperament or drama is an achievement; in the time taken for development, it is nothing short of sensational."
McCartney later owned a 1972 Lamborghini Espada, which is alleged to have fallen into a pond when Eastman failed to apply the handbrake. When later trying to sell the car, McCartney said, according to the book "Stars, Cars & Infamy" by Martin Buckley: "It's not a good car ... if you want a Lamborghini that's mint, and has never been in a pond, this isn't the one."
Land Rover Series IIA
Another British classic, this time a green Land Rover bought by McCartney to get around his Scottish High Park farm. The singer-songwriter made the farm his home in 1970, shortly after "The Beatles" split up and he married Linda Eastman.
The couple named their Land Rover "Hell On Wheels," and the vehicle is referenced in the 1973 B-side track "Helen Wheels," by "Paul McCartney and Wings." The lyrics describe their journey from the Scottish farm, down through England, and to London.
Writing in his 1976 autobiography "Paul McCartney In His Own Words," the musician said: "Helen Wheels is our Land Rover. It's a name we have to our Land Rover, which is a trusted vehicle that gets us around Scotland. It takes us up to the Shetland Islands and down to London."
Although GQ claims McCartney drove a 1955 Land Rover Series I, he was also photographed using a newer Land Rover — this time a Series IIA produced in 1970. According to data from the UK's DVLA, the car had covered just 33,000 miles by August 2020, and under 1,000 miles over the previous 15 years, despite receiving a road-worthiness (MOT) check every year.
This would suggest the car is part of a private collection and is well-maintained, but scarcely used. However, it has not been roadworthy in the U.K., due to an expired MOT, since the summer of 2021.
Aston Martin DB6
Finally, no roundup of McCartney's cars is complete without highlighting his 1966 Aston Martin DB6. An upgrade on the earlier DB5, the DB6 benefited from improved aerodynamics, a slightly more spacious cabin and extra luggage space in the rear. "The Beatles" star ordered his in Goodwood Green and had a reel-to-reel tape recorded fitted.
Then, while driving the Aston to visit John Lennon's son Julian, a song came into McCartney's head. He cued up the tape recorder and began to compose what he at first called "Hey Jules," but which would later become "Hey Jude." McCartney was visiting the young Lennon to console him, Forbes writes, as his mother Cynthia and father John were going through a divorce. McCartney is said to have arrived with a single red rose.
The DB6 was purchased by Aston Martin Works from the Bonhams & Brooks auction house in 2001 for an unknown amount. In 2017, the car was described as "recently restored back to its former glory" by Circuit2Circuit, a transportation company tasked with moving it, on loan from Aston Martin, to a "Beatles" museum in Italy.
According to the DVLA database, the car last passed an MOT road-worthiness test in 2014 with under 20,000 miles on the clock. It is currently declared as off-the-road by its current owner.