15 Surprising Cars Celebrities Drove Before The Fame

Being a celebrity often goes hand in hand with earning millions of dollars, living the high life, and, in some cases, building highly enviable car collections. But, it's sometimes easy to forget that most celebs started off as regular people with budgets just like the rest of us. As such, there are plenty of now-wealthy A-listers whose first cars were a lot less glamorous than the lives they now lead.

Whether they're rappers, politicians, or petrol-headed talk show hosts, many of America's most well-known names drove very unassuming rides before they were famous. Some were quick to ditch their first cars as soon as they were able to afford something else, but a few famous faces have kept theirs for decades. In one case, a well-known celeb was even forced to sell their first car to raise funds for the business that made them a household name. Every one of them could buy a new Lamborghini or Ferrari without having to worry today, but back when they first started driving, things were a little different.

Presenter, journalist, and all-around motoring aficionado Jeremy Clarkson has probably driven more cars than he can remember, but his first car is one he is unlikely to forget. He said in an interview with TopGearbox that after passing his test, he went out and bought a Ford Cortina, because it was the only thing his family ever drove. "I was raised in a Ford Cortina, only ever went anywhere in a Ford Cortina, so I thought I better buy a Ford Cortina, then."

The car was a 1969 model year which Clarkson bought in 1977, and he reportedly modified it almost as soon as he bought it. Some of his (admittedly questionable) mods included fur-lined doors, race seats, and extra brake lights. He later sold the car, rediscovering it years later with the help of a British TV show. Unfortunately, it had fallen into disrepair, having been off the road for many years. When he's not filming "The Grand Tour," and driving the most exotic cars the automotive industry has to offer, Clarkson can often be found in a Range Rover, with two reportedly used as daily drivers on his farm in the English countryside (via The Sunday Times).

The 44th President of the United States of America is no longer allowed to drive on the open road, as he had to forfeit the right to get behind the wheel when he was elected in 2008. In fact, no former presidents are allowed to drive on public roads, instead having to be ferried about by the Secret Service. Before his term in office, however, Obama had a series of very normal vehicles, including a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a Ford Escape Hybrid (via Gear Patrol). His first car was even more unremarkable: a Ford Granada that Obama graciously described as "not the peak of Detroit engineering."

Despite the fact that the car was only a few years old when Obama inherited it from his grandfather, he said that the car constantly shook and rattled, which unfortunately wasn't unusual for a Malaise-era car. Obama was also less than impressed with the car's status with women, telling AAA in an interview, "I don't think the girls were particularly impressed when I came to pick them up in a Ford Granada" (via USA Today).

Portuguese soccer coach José Mourinho is considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport, with successful stints managing clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Inter Milan. He's always had a penchant for British cars, with a collection that includes a variety of Jaguars (via AutoJosh). He's become closely tied with the brand, appearing in a number of commercials for them, and attending events as an official brand ambassador (via Jaguar).

However, Mourinho's first car wasn't a Jaguar, and it wasn't even British. It was instead a Renault 5, which was bought for him by his father, José Mourinho Senior. The car was a present for passing his driving test, and he soon racked up the miles on it, as the daily commute from his house to his university was an 80-mile round trip. His next car was another sensible purchase: a Honda Civic, which was the first car he bought with his own money (via The Telegraph).

Comedian, talk show host, and high-profile car collector Jay Leno has an eclectic mix of vehicles under his ownership, including everything from a million-dollar Lamborghini Miura S to an old American LaFrance fire truck. His collection is thought to be worth well north of $50 million in total, and once he's bought a car, Leno is known to rarely ever sell it (via DuPont Registry). He's no stranger to buying cars in rough condition and restoring them, and in fact, his first car was also a bit of a project.

In an interview with Petrolicious, Leno recalled that his father bought him his first car, a 1934 Ford pickup, when he was about 14 years old. It was parked at the side of a gas station, and it wasn't running when Leno bought it. After towing the vehicle back home, Leno's father worked with him to help restore it over a number of years, so that by the time he got his license, the truck would be ready for the road. After a few years of driving the truck, Leno traded it in for a Datsun sports car. He then moved to California shortly after, vowing to never sell a car again. Fast forward 40 years, and Leno's collection continues to grow, with an estimated 181 cars and 160 motorcycles now stored at his collection in Burbank, CA (via Jerry).

Italian fashion magnate Giorgio Armani started his career as a buyer for a chic Milanese department store before branching out and creating his own designs. After founding his brand in 1975, he quickly developed a reputation for disruptive and innovative collections, becoming one of Hollywood's favorite designers in the decades that followed (via Brittanica). But, to raise money to launch his own business, Armani had to give up one of his most prized possessions: his VW Beetle. According to Robb Report, Armani described the Beetle as his favorite car, saying that although he was forced to sell his first one, he bought himself another as soon as he had the money.

With an estimated net worth of $5.8 billion according to Forbes, Armani could now afford an entire fleet of Beetles if he wanted to, but he reportedly prefers to spend most of his time on his 213-foot yacht. At the ripe old age of 88, it's no surprise that he's not too keen on driving around the crowded streets of Milan anymore.

Before founding one of the world's fastest expanding car companies, and helping to bring electric-powered cars to the masses, Elon Musk was simply a talented entrepreneur with a penchant for fast cars. Unfortunately, he was less keen on insuring those cars, and when he crashed his McLaren F1, the damage was so bad that it ended up being sent to the scrapheap. A similar fate was met by his first car, a 1978 BMW 320i. Motorious reports that the car was used by Elon while he was running his first company, Zip2, and he'd sometimes lend the car out to his associates and interns.

While one of those interns was borrowing the car, they crashed it, and the damage was so bad that the car was written off entirely. It wasn't too big of a deal for Musk, though, as he sold the company shortly after to found his next big project, the payment platform PayPal.

After her breakout role in the HBO drama "Euphoria," Sydney Sweeney quickly cemented her reputation as one of America's best new actresses, with critically-acclaimed roles in "Madame Web" and "The White Lotus." Her latest project, "The Registration," was also picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures, so it seems like fans will be seeing a lot more of her work in the future (via Deadline). As well as her career in the film industry, Sweeney launched a TikTok account in 2021 to showcase her work on vintage cars, of which she has several. Her first car, and the main focus of her account, called Syd's Garage, is a classic Ford Bronco.

It's a 1969 model year car, and Sweeney reportedly picked it up from an auction site in 2021 in original, unrestored condition. Through TikTok, Sweeney has documented her journey to restoring the car, aiming to make it the "perfect car for when the sun's out." She's already made a long list of changes, including the transmission, leaf springs, and interior, but she told Hypebeast that it was important to her to "preserve the integrity of the original Ford build." The car already looks vastly improved from when Sweeney first started work on it, but it seems like she's a long way from done with the project.