Mick Jagger picking up his Ferrari 288 GTO at Ferrari in Maranello back in 1985. Photo by spaghetti drivers.
The Rolling Stones loved music of course, but they had a soft spot for the beautiful cars of the time and naturally a Ferrari could not be missing from their collection.
The Rolling Stones did get satisfaction from collecting cars. Over the years, Mick, Keith, Bill, Ronnie and Brian have all owned some classic motors. And so has Charlie, even though he can’t drive… By Adam Hay-Nicholls on 29 August 2020.
The Rolling Stones in a car. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
Spread out the oil, the gasoline; they ride in mean, mean machines. We’re talking about The Rolling Stones, of course. Formed in London in 1962, the Stones blended English rock and American blues, wrote ‘Brown sugar’, ‘Gimme shelter’ and ‘Sympathy for the devil’, have outlasted all their contemporaries, sold more than 240 million albums, toured the world 48 times and played live in front of more than 50m people.
The Rolling Stones loved cars. Photo by Norman Potter.
So, they can afford a well-stocked garage. Let’s ‘Shine a light’ on their typically eccentric car history.
Charlie Watts – Lagonda Rapide (1937)
Lagonda Rapide. Photo by Frank Schneider / Alamy Stock Photo.
It stands to reason that the most ancient car on this list should belong to the Stones’ 79-year-old drummer, Charlie Watts, a man who was born old. In fact, Charlie has never seen the point of having a driving licence, so he’s never driven this car. He just keeps it in the garage and uses his imagination. “You can ‘Start me up’,” he might mutter, “but I’m just going to sit here and admire the fine pre-war craftsmanship.” He bought the V12-engined Lagonda, one of only 25 produced, in 1983. It was a purchase that had been long in the planning, since art school in 1960 in fact. “I don’t particularly want to drive,” he’s reported to have said at the time, “but if I were a millionaire, I’d buy vintage cars just to look at them, because they’re beautiful.” Now, he’s a millionaire about 200 times over, so he can afford a few classics, but he doesn’t want them to become a ‘Beast of burden’.
Keith Richards – Pontiac Chieftain ‘Silver Streak’ Convertible (1950)
Pontiac Chieftain ‘Silver Streak’ Convertible. Photo by Zuma Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.
Known as the ‘Silver Streak’ due to its chromed hood strips, Keith Richards’ Pontiac was purchased secondhand on the Côte d’Azur in November 1971 while he was living as a tax exile in Villefranche-sur-Mer. It was during this period that the Stones famously crammed themselves into a makeshift studio in the basement of Keith’s decadent Villa Nellcôte and cut Exile On Main St. One hopes the car’s current owner keeps a pair of fuzzy ‘Tumbling Dice’ hanging from the rear-view mirror.
Brian Jones – Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II (1959)
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. Photo by Felix Choo / Alamy Stock Photo.
The Rolling Stones’ founder, guitarist Brian Jones, was rarely in a fit state to drive, so a chauffeured Rolls-Royce was the perfect choice of transport. He bought the Silver Cloud II from Beatle George Harrison, and the number plate was well-suited to the hell-raiser: DD 666. Apparently the ‘DD’ stood for ‘Devil’s disciple’. The car was originally silver, but Brian decided to ‘paint it black’. On 03 July 1969, he was found at the bottom of his swimming pool, dead at 27. Let’s hope he’s now in a better place than where that DD 666 number plate now resides. We checked with the DVLA: it’s currently on a Hyundai.
Bill Wyman – MGB (1964)
MGB. Photo by Media World Images / Alamy Stock Photo.
While his bandmates were buying aristocratic Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, bassist Bill Wyman chose a more modest machine, but one that became equally iconic in the mid-1960s. This two-seat roadster cost less than £1,000 in 1964, when Bill snapped up his. He chose wire wheels, though, rather than the ‘steel wheels’ that were celebrated upon his swan song with the band in 1989.
Keith Richards – Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur (1965)
Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur.
The most storied of The Rolling Stones’ cars, Keith’s Mulliner-bodied Bentley, was christened ‘Blue Lena’ after the American songstress Lena Horne. “I sent her a picture of it,” Keith recalls in his autobiography, Life. “An automobile of some rarity, one of a limited edition of 87. Having this car was already heading for trouble, breaking the rules of the establishment, driving a car I was definitely not born into.” Its place in rock’n’roll history came about following the notorious drugs bust at Keith’s West Sussex home in 1967. “We decided to get out of England. It was one of those sudden things. Let’s jump in the Bentley and go to Morocco.” Chauffeur Tom Keylock did the driving, while Brian Jones was deposited en route at a hospital in Toulouse due to mild pneumonia / major drug-addled irritability. As they carried on through Spain, Anita Pallenberg – who was at that time Brian’s girlfriend – transferred her affections to the band’s other guitarist… on the Bentley’s backseat. The couple would go on to have three children and remained together until 1980. The Flying Spur boasted a number of custom novelties, including a secret compartment for Keith’s illegal stash. Anita later had loudspeakers installed behind the front grille. With the aid of a microphone, she would impersonate a policewoman and issue bogus instructions to alarmed fellow motorists. ‘Some girls’, eh?
Mick Jagger – Aston Martin DB6 (1966)
Aston Martin DB6. Photo by Keith Larby / Alamy Stock Photo.
Perhaps envious of his pop rival Paul McCartney, who had a green DB6, Mick Jagger went out and bought a midnight-blue one. Shortly after taking delivery in the summer of 1966, Mick was cruising down Great Titchfield street with his model girlfriend Chrissie Shrimpton (sister of Jean) when they collided with the Countess of Carlisle in her humble Ford Anglia (a metaphor for the 1960s culture clash, perhaps. Or simply a crossroads hurricane). His passenger side door and rear wing badly dented, the ‘Street fighting man’ looked like he might be having his ‘19th nervous breakdown’ as fans and a photographer crowded around while he gave a statement to the police. “Hey, you, get out of that car,” the bobby probably ordered.
Bill Wyman – Mercedes-Benz 250 S (1966)
Mercedes-Benz 250 S. Photo by Bstar Images / Alamy Stock Photo.
The first of many Mercedes the bassist would own, Bill Wyman bought this stacked-headlight W108-series saloon and specified tinted rear windows. Mercedes had never done curved tinted windows before, so he contributed £350 towards the R&D. He sold it after four years and many happy miles, missed it and bought it back from an old lady in Bury St Edmunds in 1991 for £1,000. She requested the sum in £1 notes. The car was in a sorry state. Worst of all, the precious tinted windows were cracked. Bill spent £20,000 returning the Benz to its former glory. It was, in many ways, an ‘Emotional rescue’.
Ronnie Wood – Lotus Seven S3 (1969)
Lotus Seven S3.
Ronnie Wood joined the Stones in 1975, having previously been in The Faces with Rod Stewart. It was during this earlier time that Ron enjoyed blasting around in a Lotus Seven, the Colin Chapman-designed lightweight kit car that came to prominence in the cult TV show The Prisoner. Later, the guitarist developed a fondness for big, leathery Bentley and Rolls-Royce coupés and convertibles. The contrasting Seven indicates a more innocent and footloose time, something with less power but ‘A bigger bang’.
Mick Jagger – Morgan Plus 8 (1969)
Morgan Plus 8. Photo by Paul Debois / Alamy Stock Photo.
Like Ronnie, Mick Jagger likes simple, traditional British sports cars and had a love affair with a lemon-yellow Morgan in 1969. Its throwback design, harking to the 1930s, was mated to a 3.5-litre Rover V8. Initially, Marianne Faithfull was a regular in the passenger seat. Then she was replaced with Bianca Perez-Mora Macias and the Morgan joined the couple in St Tropez for their star-studded 1971 wedding. “You can’t always get what you want”, though, because by the end of the 1970s, Mick had let both the Brazilian beauty and the roadster go.
Bill Wyman – Citroën SM (1971)
Citroën SM. Photo by The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo.
Combining Citroën’s steering and suspension wizardry, Maserati’s engine know-how (SM stood for Série Maserati) and space-inspired Gallic style, Bill Wyman’s 1971 head-turner is one of our favourites of the period. There must be something about it that appeals to bassists; U2’s Adam Clayton and Coldplay’s Guy Berryman are also SM owners. Maserati chopped two cylinders off its V8 to create the requisite V6, but it still produced 170 ‘Wild horses’, while the aerodynamic body enabled a top speed of 140 mph, making it the fastest front-wheel-drive car in the world. Bill took delivery of the car at his home in the South of France while the band were recording Exile on Main St. and over the next decade it transported many of The Rolling Stone’s artist and musician friends, including Marc Chagall, César and Ringo Starr. Bill would (probably) tell them to mind their “Sticky fingers”, as he didn’t want the paintwork marked.
Keith Richards – Ferrari Dino 246 GT (1972)
Ferrari Dino 246 GT. Photo by VDWI Automotive / Alamy Stock Photo.
The Dino, named after Enzo Ferrari’s first and favourite son, was seen as a ‘junior’ V6 Ferrari when it was built, but is now among the most desirable cars of the 1970s. Keith put 25,000 miles on his; while the other members of the band flew between European tour dates, Keith drove the Dino. Maybe that was because the substances he’d secreted in the doors wouldn’t be welcome at airport security, or he simply couldn’t stand being stuck in the sky with Mick. The Glimmer Twins weren’t getting on all that well during this period, so the guitarist took to the road Blue & Lonesome. He sold the car in 1986 and it was later bought by The prodigy’s Liam Howlett. We’re sure he found owning a Ferrari of such rock’n’roll provenance a great “Satisfaction”.
Bill, Mick and Keith – Ferrari 400i (1983)
Ferrari 400i. Photo by Zuma Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.
Their Satanic majesties request three Ferrari 400is. And their request is granted. It’s 1983 and Bill, Mick and Keith’s order is received in Maranello, where three of these 2+2 coupés are prepared. Keith used his black left-hand-drive five-speed in Paris while the band laid down tracks for the albums Undercover and Dirty work in the 1980s. The 400i was seen as a rather unloved car for many years, but prices are slowly appreciating. A very fine example, Keith’s is the most valuable by some margin. RM Sotheby’s sold it direct from him for £300,000 in 2017 – double the estimate. Barely used, Keith promised, “I did open her up a couple of times. She’s a very fast girl.”
Photo gallery
The Rolling Stones perform live on stage on the set of the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus at Intertel TV Studio in Wembley, London, on 11 December 1968. Left to right: Brian Jones (1942-1969), Mick Jagger, Rocky Dzidzornu (?), Charlie Watts (top), Keith Richards (bottom) and Bill Wyman. Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward / Redferns.
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull arrive at Battersea Heliport in London, on 01 August 1967. They are flying to Ongar in Essex, where Jagger is to record a TV interview. Photo by Victor Blackman / Daily Express / Hulton Archive / Getty Images.
Mick Jagger and his girlfriend Bianca Perez-Mora Macias arrive at London's Heathrow Airport to catch a flight to the Bahamas for a holiday on 25 November 1970. Photo by Evening Standard / Hulton Archive / Getty Images.
Mick Jagger backstage with his wife Bianca in Hamburg, Germany, on 02 October 1973. Photo by Michael Putland / Getty Images.
Mick Jagger sits with his wife, Nicaraguan-born model and activist Bianca, early 1980s. Photo by Robin Platzer / Getty Images.
Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall attend a book party for Antonio's Girls at Bloomingdale's in New York City on March 11, 1982. Photo by Sonia Moskowitz / Getty Images.
Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall are photographed for the July 19, 1982 issue of People Magazine on June 25 - 26, 1982 backstage at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 / Contour by Getty Images.
Mick Jagger picking up his Ferrari 288 GTO at Ferrari in Maranello back in 1985.
Mick Jagger and Tina Turner are photographed on stage at the Tokyo Dome on March 23, 1988. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 / Contour by Getty Images.
Mick Jagger and Tina Turner are photographed on stage at the Tokyo Dome on March 23, 1988. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 / Contour by Getty Images.
Mick Jagger and Tina Turner are photographed on stage at the Tokyo Dome on March 23, 1988. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 / Contour by Getty Images.
Mick Jagger and L'Wren Scott attend the Harpers Bazaar Women of the Year awards at Claridge's Hotel on November 05, 2013 in London, England. Photo by Ferdaus Shamim / WireImage.
Keith Richards
Model Patti Hansen embraces her husband, Keith Richards, guitarist for the British rock & roll band, The Rolling Stones, around 1981. Photo by Lynn Goldsmith / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images.
Keith Richards and Patti Hansen are photographed at Longview Farm in September 1981 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 via Contour by Getty Images.
Keith Richards and Patti Hansen are photographed at Longview Farm in September 1981 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 via Contour by Getty Images.
Keith Richards and Patti Hansen are photographed at Longview Farm in September 1981 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 via Contour by Getty Images.
Keith Richards and Patti Hansen are photographed at Longview Farm in September 1981 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Photo by Ken Regan / Camera 5 via Contour by Getty Images.
Keith Richards and Patti Hansen in 1982. Photo by Lynn Goldsmith / Corbis / VCG via Getty Images.
Guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones arrives at the San Lorenzo restaurant in London with his wife Patti, circa 1985. Photo by Dave Hogan / Hulton Archive / Getty Images.
Keith Richards with his Ferrari 400i outside Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris, France, in 1985.
Keith Richards and wife Patti Hansen arrive at the ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater on December 03, 2007 in New York City. Photo by James Devaney / Wire Image.
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman with Astrid Lindstrom while promoting his solo album 'Bill Wyman' at Hotel Okura in Tokyo, Japan, on 25 March 1982. Photo by Koh Hasebe Shinko Music / Getty Images.
Brian Jones
Musician Brian Jones (1942 - 1969) of the Rolling Stones meets his girlfriend, actress Anita Pallenberg (1942 - 2017), at London Airport, UK, on 03 December 1966. Photo by Evening Standard / Hulton Archive / Getty Images.
Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones group with one time girlfriend, Swedish actress Anita Pallenberg, circa 1967. Photo by Bentley Archive / Popperfoto via Getty Images.
Brian Jones at the filming of the Rolling Stones Rock 'n' Roll Circus, which turned out to be his final public appearence with the Stones. He is pictured with model Donyale Luna who played the part of the fire eaters assistant in the Rock 'n' Circus on 11 December 1968. Photo by Murray / Mirrorpix via Getty Images.
Charlie Watts
Drummer Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones poses with members of the audience on the set of the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus at Intertel TV Studio in Wembley, London, on 11 December 1968. Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward / Redferns.
Ronnie Wood
Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones with wife Jo Wood in New York in 1978. Photo by Michael Putland / Getty Images.
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