Janet Jackson's career in the entertainment industry has spanned over 45 years. Her dance moves and choreography have been copied by the best on Earth, and Ms. Jackson has inspired women world-wide to embrace their inner power and take control of their lives. While still maintaining a comfortable distance from the paparazzi, she's also created some of the most memorable and innovative music videos in history, despite never truly receiving proper accolades for them.
In her earlier years, Jackson's videos were often filmed on lavish sets, and in between the acting and complicated dance routines, some amazing vehicles were featured. Here are the top 11 we could find, plus 4 more cars she actually owned in real life.
15 1964 Porsche 356SC Cabriolet (You Want This)
The video for Ms. Jackson's 1994 song You Want This, featured an array of amazing vehicles parked outside a Sundowner Motel in the desert. The 356 was Porsche's first production automobile, and the SC model was the last revision made before production ceased in 1965. Originally selling for $4K, this rear-engine cabriolet now commands between $100-200K.
14 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance (You Want This)
Maybe you recognize this as the basis for Ecto-1 from the original Ghostbusters movies, but it also had a cameo in Jackson's video. This creation is a marriage between a Cadillac and a Miller-Meteor ambulance body, and it represented the gold standard for ambulances long before today's rolling hospitals were even conceived. It also doubled as a hearse, which was handy because 50's medical knowledge wasn't the greatest.
13 1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupe (You Want This)
With the world starting to recover from WWII, Volkswagen decided to add a halo model to their repertoire, and thus the Ghia was born in 1955. It was a joint effort between Italian car manufacturer Ghia, and German automakers Karmann and VW. It was rather underpowered, but hand-built body panels coated with English pewter placed the price of this Italian-designed 2+2 in a more exclusive category.
12 1957 Austin Healey (You Want This)
In the video, Jackson rode shotgun in the Porsche 356 above, but her posse sped around in this sporty little British 2 seater. It wasn't winning any races, but when you're crammed into such a low-riding tiny car, 124 spirited and noisy horsepower is enough to raise your pulse. Expect to pay $40K+ for a well maintained version.
11 2001 Jaguar X-Type (All For You World Tour)
The year 2001 marked the launch of Janet Jackson's 'All For You' world tour. Jaguar took advantage by becoming her major sponsor, just in time to launch their all new X-Type mid-size sedan. Jackson's headlining commercial was played to audiences before every arena show began. The X-Type was Jaguar's first AWD car, and was powered by a 231 hp V6.
10 1946 Chrysler DeSoto Suburban Custom Taxi (Alright)
Jackson's star-studded video for Alright featured Cab Callaway and Cyd Charisse, and also this DeSoto taxi. Next to Checker, DeSoto was the 2nd most popular taxi manufacturer for many years. When Chrysler transformed it's plants back to automotive products post WWII, the Suburban was DeSoto's 1st offering, and the Custom model was designed for limos and taxis.
9 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk (Escapade)
You need to look very carefully to catch a glimpse of the GT Hawk in Escapade, but this European-styled, Detroit-built offering is still worth talking about. The production run was only 2 years, but you could get a "Jet Thrust" R-series, 335 hp supercharged V8 in the '63 and '64 versions. Sadly, Studebaker's financial troubles caused them to use inferior materials in the rest of the car, but that means you can pick one up cheap today.
8 1966 Ford Thunderbird (Escapade)
This 4th generation T-Bird also had a limited 2 year run, but featured an optional 345 hp, 428 cu-in V8. Unsurprisingly, all that power still couldn't propel this beast to a decent 0-60 mph time, but it wasn't built to be a sports car. 1966 marked the last convertible option year for the T-Bird until the 11th generation, retro-design model in 2002.
7 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (Control)
At the beginning of Control, Ms. Jackson's band piles into a powder blue version of this fine ride. Featuring the largest tail-fins ever put on a vehicle, the Biarritz's flamboyant styling was the ultimate expression of postwar optimism. Bumper to bumper shining chrome and a lavish interior of supple leather and brushed aluminum, ensured you and your 5 friends were seen driving in style.
6 Citroën SM (I Get Lonely)
We can definitely understand why Jackson would get lonely driving around in this odd looking vehicle, but believe it or not, the SM was Motor Trend's 1972 Car of the Year. It was loaded with state-of-the-art features like a hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension that Citroën invented, and headlights that swiveled with the steering wheel. Superior handling, braking and comfort make this an ideal highway driver, even by today's standards.
RELATED: DS Celebrates Citroen SM’s 50th Year With Design Contest
5 1957 Dual-Ghia Convertible (Nasty)
A lime green Dual-Ghia with custom leopard print seats co-starred in Nasty. Only 117 of these cars were ever produced, and many were owned by celebrities such as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Desi Arnez. Italian manufacturers Ghia fabricated the body and interior over a Dodge frame and drivetrain, then it was shipped back to Dual Motors in the US and mated to a 5.7L hemi V8. This process was dubbed 'the world's longest assembly line'.
4 White Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
We've seen what JJ used in her older videos, but the classics have no place in her real life driving experiences. Ms. Jackson is quite a private person, but reports indicate she has owned 4 cars the past decade, including a white Murcielago. This $375K exotic is powered by a 640 hp V12, launching it from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. According to the EPA, the LP640 was the least efficient vehicle on the road in 2008, getting just 8 miles/gallon, but we're pretty sure no owner has ever complained about that.
3 White Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
The Gallardo is Lamborghini's best selling model to date, with 14022 built over it's 10-year production run. While still insanely fast, the shorter frame, normal doors, and slightly tamer V10 are easier to drive around town when shopping at Prada, or bringing your Maltese for a manicure. $200K+ could have snagged you one of these brand new, but now they're a real steal at only $120K+.
2 White Bentley Continental GTC
In 2007, Jackson and then partner Jermaine Dupri apparently paid LA-based Platinum Motorsport $275K for this customized Bentley. Despite its 5500 pound frame, the enormous 552 hp W12 engine will launch the AWD GTC from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds. Dupri put the car up for auction on eBay in 2011, after the couple split up. Bids were up to $130K, but no word as to what the final selling price was.
1 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
At $234K, the Vanquish isn't the most expensive or exotic car Jackson owns, but it is the most famous. Best known as the featured Bond vehicle in Die Another Day, it earned major praise by Road and Track writer Patrick Hong, who called it the ultimate Grand Tourer. The 5.9L V12 propels this beauty over 200 mph, while the driver is treated to hand stitched leather and Alcantara inside the cabin. Sounds like a great way to get around.