When you happen to be one of the richest people on the planet, buying some seriously cool cars isn’t too much of a problem – and Elon Musk just loves a flashy motor.
The leader of companies such as Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX has a stunning car collection that includes some jaw-dropping motors worth millions.
Elon Musk heads up Tesla and a host of other tech companiesCredit: Reuters
When Mr Musk isn’t creating some new product idea, or pitching himself into yet another controversy, he loves driving cars.
Surprisingly, the successful entrepreneur doesn’t have the latest hypercar, or a fleet of Ferraris waiting to be driven.
Naturally he has some Tesla’s but also some far more quirky cars that are nostalgic buys rather than status symbols.
Ford Model T
It’s one of the most famous cars in the world and is widely considered to be the first modern mass-produced vehicle.
One of the most important cars ever designedCredit: Alamy
It was simple, robust and arguably paved the way for the automobile age and the world we live in today.
Elon Musk was given this car by a friend.
BMW 3 Series
The 320i was one of BMW’s most iconic saloons and probably the car a lot of people think of when they hear the name “3 Series”.
Not a bad first carCredit: Alamy
A 1978 model was Elon Musk’s first car, which he had for years before becoming absurdly wealthy.
He bought the car for $1,400 in 1993 and was able to enjoy a massive upgrade just six years later.
McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is one of the greatest cars of all time.
The beautiful three-seater was the fastest production car in the world for over a decade.
Elon Musk bought his McLaren F1 for $1m in 1999 after he’d just made $22m in Silicon Valley.
And to his credit, he used the machine as much as he could, including on ordinary drives around California.
The McLaren F1 was the fastest car in the world for yearsCredit: Alamy
But eventually he crashed it on his way to a business meeting, and despite his passenger having no seat belt on at the time of the accident, both occupants were unharmed.
Elon Musk sold the car for a significant profit – McLaren F1s are worth around £20m today – and his company Tesla has since produced electric cars that outpace the F1’s acceleration.
Tesla Cybertruck
The Cybertruck looks like something from a mobile phone game, and not one of the better ones.
But it’s one of the few exciting models in the important – albeit not particularly lucrative – electric goods vehicle sector.
Everything about the Cybertruck is funCredit: AP:Associated Press
Tesla’s Cybertruck isn’t on sale yet, but Elon Musk has been driving his prototype around.
Order books are expected to open towards the end of 2023, with prices starting from around $40,000.
Lotus Esprit (amphibious)
Elon Musk no doubt considers himself to have some similarities with James Bond.
And now he has one of 007’s most famous cars, the amphibious 1976 Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who loved Me.
The amphibious Esprit is a famous on-screen carCredit: Getty
There are clear similarities between this and the Cybertruck.
And while the movie prop isn’t actually equipped to be used as an amphibious car, it really does have some submarine capabilities.
Tesla Roadster
It was probably the first electric car to be properly cool.
And while the Roadster bears little resemblance to the Model 3s and Model Xs parked on plusher streets in the UK, it’s a big part of Tesla’s history.
Was this the first truly desirable EV?Credit: AP
The battery-electric sports car was based on the lightweight Lotus Elise, a famous British sports car famous with petrolheads.
The Tesla Roadster is very rare, with less than 2,500 sold.
It’s also the only car in space.
Tesla Model X
The Tesla Model X was the safest large off-road motor in 2019
Musk has seven children so a two-seat sports car isn’t much use for the school-run.
He’s been seen out and about in Tesla’s Model X SUV, which has three rows of seats inside and seats seven people.
Tesla Model S Plaid
The Tesla Model S was the second model in Tesla’s historyCredit: Tesla
Elon has admitted he spends most of his time driving a Tesla Model S.
That makes sense as its arguably the best-looking Tesla on sale and one of the comfiest to drive.
The Plaid version of the Model S has 1020hp and can do 0-60mph in a claimed 1.9 seconds – useless in most situations, but a cool stat.
Jaguar E-Type
Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type the most beautiful car in the world
Apparently the Jaguar E-Type was one of the first cars Musk’s truly fell for as a younger man.
When he had the cash, he had to have one, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.
It reportedly broke down on the way home from the dealership and hasn’t been particularly reliable ever since.
