It’s always fun to find out facts about your favorite celebrities. These people are worth millions of dollars, yet they are human just like us and have interesting quirks that make them tick. One of those interesting quirks is the inability to drive.
It seems so mundane for regular people—driving is a rite of passage that everyone partakes in, usually in the 16-to-18-year-old range. But for people who grew up in the spotlight, or shot to superstardom at quite a young age, the idea of getting a driver’s license and taking the test (just like every other Jack and Jill with a permit) becomes daunting and, oftentimes, completely unnecessary. These celebrities worth millions do, after all, usually have a chauffeur to drive them around.
Sometimes, there’s a darker secret behind a celebrity’s lack of driving ability—whether that be a bad memory or failing the test too many times, or something like that. Other times, the celebrity in question is simply too young to drive a car. Sure, their rich-parents-by-osmosis might have a super sleek Range Rover ready for them by the time they eventually get their license, should it ever happen.
For now, we’re left with celebrities that straddle the fence between reality and fiction. On one hand, they can’t go outside without being noticed, which is pretty nerve-racking, but on the other hand, they want to live as normal lives as possible. Part of that normalcy is being able to drive a car.
Whether they used to drive but don’t anymore, failed the test one too many times, gave up, or are too young, here are 20 celebrities that owned cars before they could drive.
20 Kendall Jenner – Range Rover
Kendall Jenner is, of course, best known for being part of the infamous family on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, before becoming a model in the “Instagirl era” (according to Vogue magazine). She has a huge social media following, is one of the top 15 most followed celebrities on Instagram, and in 2017 was the World’s Highest-Paid Model on the Forbes top-earning list. Before all that, though, Kendall’s rich family made sure she got around in style. The reality star and model was given a $90,000 Range Rover for her sweet sixteen birthday, before she could even drive the car.
19 Miley Cyrus – Porsche Cayenne GTS
Miley Cyrus has been through some ups and downs during her whirlwind career, but she’s always managed to end up on top. She got her start on Hannah Montana, as the character Miley Stewart, before embarking on her music career, which led her to significant media scrutiny and public controversy for her transition from wholesome girl to her highly-sexual persona in the early 2010s. In 2018, she married Australian actor and highly acclaimed brother to Chris Hemsworth, Liam Hemsworth. When she was 20, she was spotted driving a new $80,000 Porsche Cayenne GTS, but even before that, she was given a different Porsche before she could even drive it.
18 Kate Beckinsale – Chevrolet Suburban
Here’s another celebrity with a surprising first ride—as opposed to a Range Rover or high-end luxury car, she was first spotted in a Chevrolet Suburban. Kate Beckinsale made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing (1993), before breaking through with her role in Pearl Harbor (2001), alongside Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett. Then she became known as an action actress after being cast as the vampire Selene in the Underworld film series (2003-2016). She’s played a variety of roles, but one role she can’t seem to nail down is as a driver. After failing her driver’s test as a teenager, she essentially gave up. Luckily for her, she went on to a career where being chauffeured is almost expected. (This picture was a photoshoot for As If Magazine.)
17 Selena Gomez – Ford Escape
Selena Gomez first appeared on Barney & Friends, like Lovato, but then gained more recognition as a tween actor on Wizards of Waverly Place. She shot to fame by hanging around and going out with Justin Bieber (sort of how Kim Kardashian gained popularity hanging out with Paris Hilton), but she’s really talented on her own right. Her former band Selena Gomez & the Scene reached the top-10 on the US Billboard 200, and she’s had two number-one albums of her own. She also opted for something a little bit removed from fame and popularity, cruising around in an old Ford Escape before and while she could drive—before finally turning it in for something nicer in recent years: a black BMW 4x4.
16 Christina Aguilera – Ferrari California T / Rolls-Royce Phantom
Christina Aguilera is one of those singers that has had quite a rocky relationship with fame. She comes from an older generation than the aforementioned pop stars on this list, alongside Britney Spears, Shakira, and the like. She’s sold 75 million records, and in 2009 was ranked #58 on Rolling Stone’s top 100 Greatest Signers of All Time, becoming the youngest and only artist under 30 to be named. The Pop Princess has been a coach on The Voice since 2011. Years ago, she was spotted Ferrari shopping with her then-husband Jordan Bratman, with the couple showing particular interest in a black Ferrari F430. But she already owns a Ferrari California T and a Rolls-Royce Phantom, among others—despite not being able to drive them!
15 Emma Roberts – Range Rover
As you can probably tell, the popular celebrities these days are all about the Range Rover! Emma Roberts is no different. She’s been a constant presence on the American Horror Story series, playing a variety of roles, and has been in plenty of films and other TV series. Though she owns a Range Rover, she’s yet to drive it because she keeps failing her driving test. At one point, she had a permit, then failed her test. By the time she tried to get her license back, her permit had expired, and she failed the permit test! So she doesn’t even have that… but she does have a Range Rover waiting for her.
14 A$AP Rocky – Ferrari 488 GTB / Ferrari 360 Modena
A$AP Rocky’s first two albums both debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, making him one of the hottest rising stars around. The rapper has a ton of exotic luxury cars, such as a Ferrari 488 GTB, a Ferrari 360 Modena, a BMW 5-Series, a Mercedes-Benz A-Class… but the problem is he cant’ drive any of them! At least, in the past the celebrity rapper had a chauffeur to drive him around in his exotic cars. But he’s recently been seen on driving tests—finally deciding to get his license. At first, his cars were clearly just about him showing off his money, but that seems to have changed as he’s grown up a bit. Now he wants to drive them, too.
13 Quincy Jones – Porsche 911 Carrera / Mercedes-Maybach
Quincy Jones is a legendary composer and producer whose career spans six decades in the entertainment industry, with a record 79 Grammy nominations, 27 Grammy wins, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. He was the producer behind Michael Jackson’s hits, like Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987). Quincy has a dark history with cars. At the age of 14, he was involved in a car accident that left him with a life-long fear of driving. “I’m scared of driving . . . I don’t drive,” he’s said in multiple interviews (via Popsugar). He was en route to Washington when a bus hit them and everyone else in the car besides him (four people) perished. He owns a classic Porsche 911 Carrera and is a spokesperson for Mercedes-Maybach.
12 Demi Lovato – Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Demi Lovato is another star who has gone through quite a tumultuous career in a relatively short time. The singer, songwriter, and actress first appeared on Barney & Friends as a child, then broke through to mainstream television with Disney’s Camp Rock (2008). She’s since released six studio albums and has had seven top 20 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her struggles with bipolar disorder, addiction, an eating disorder, and self-harm received significant attention in the 2010s. Lovato had been known to drive around in a black Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (which start at $90,000) before she had her license, and it was waiting for her by the time she received it.
11 Ed Sheeran – Mini Cooper
Ed Sheeran seemingly popped up on the pop star world all of a sudden, but the English singer-songwriter has quite a history of well-developed songs and a powerful voice. He signed with Asylum Records and released his debut album, + (plus), in 2011, which reached #5 in the US, and topped the UK and Australian charts. When Sheeran bought his first car, he couldn’t drive it yet because he didn’t own a driver’s license. His friend from One Direction, Harry Styles, was not impressed, saying, “I get it, you’re relatable. Now get an Aston Martin!” But Sheeran said, “I don’t really like fast cars.”
10 Noel Gallagher – Jaguar Mark 2 “Inspector Morse”
Noel Gallagher is famous for being the co-lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He’s also just as famous for not getting along with his brother, co-lead singer Liam Gallagher. He was a big part in skyrocketing the Britpop movement. One thing he never had a big interest in was driving a car—he’s been limo’d around since a young age. As he told Mirror, “My Jaguar’s only done nine miles as I can’t drive,” and that’s in five years! Even though he owns an awesome, vintage “Inspector Morse” Jaguar Mark 2, he doesn’t know how to drive it.
9 Russell Brand – Mercedes-Benz S-Class
British comedian and actor began his career as a stand-up comedian, and has since branched out to all sorts of things: actor (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Despicable Me 1 & 2, Get Him to the Greek), comedian, author, radio host, intellectual… He’s spoken about a wide range of subjects, from wealth inequality, addiction, corporate capitalism, climate change, and more. Well, he also owns a Mercedes-Benz S-class and, surprise, a Range Rover, but he never bothered to learn how to drive them. In 2013 he was quoted as saying to Telegraph, “I’m a non-driver. Does that make me less of a man?” Although in 2015 he was spotted finally getting his license.
8 Marco Pierre White – Range Rover
For those who don’t know (mostly those from the US) who Marco Pierre White is—he’s the volatile world-famous, three-Michelin-Star-recipient chef and mentor to Gordon Ramsay and Mario Batali. Though the two of them don’t talk anymore and hate each other, there’s no doubting the influence Marco Pierre White had on the industry. He’s been dubbed the first “enfant terrible,” celebrity chef, and rockstar chef. He likes to go deer hunting, so he’ll pack up his Range Rover and have his Japanese driver, Mr. Isii, take the back roads into the woods, where he’ll disappear. He has a love of cars, owning no less than three Range Rovers, but is not allowed to drive any of them on the road—hence why he has to be discreet.
7 Freddie Mercury – Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow / 1950 Studebaker Champion
Legendary singer Freddie Mercury of Queen fame has gained a resurgence of late with the Bohemian Rhapsody movie, and deservedly so—people of this generation deserve to learn about one of the best vocalists and frontmen of all time. Queen’s song Bohemian Rhapsody has hit #1 on the Billboard charts no less than three times: first upon its release, then upon his death, and finally a third with the release of the film this year. He owned tons of awesome cars during his life (despite never driving them), such as a 1950 Studebaker Champion, a Daimler Limousine, a Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL, a Lincoln Town Car, and this beautiful, classic Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
6 Robbie Williams – Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren / McLaren MP4-12C
Robbie Williams is famous for being a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, before embarking on a successful solo career. Take That’s release Progress (after Williams rejoined in 2010) was the fastest-selling record of the century at the time, and in 2006 he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million tickets of his Close Encounters Tour in a single day! So, he’s had some success. He’s also had some amazing cars that he never drives. He once bought five cars in one day, just because he could. He’s also a Formula One fan, and as such owns a McLaren MP4-12C, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and more.
5 Barbra Streisand – 1961 Bentley
Barbra Streisand is one of those people who has been in the spotlight/public memory for so long that people of recent generations might not even know what she’s famous for. Well, she’s famous for her six-decades-long singing career, firstly, and her acting career. She has two Academy Awards, 10 Grammies, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and Legend Award, five Emmies, and Tony, nine Golden Globes…and even the Presidential Medal of Freedom! In a 1965 New York Times article, she was noted as owning a beige 1961 Bentley, back when she was Mrs. Elliot Gould. She also used to own a Rolls-Royce with a chauffeur. She used to drive, but lost her license somewhere along the way and doesn’t drive anymore.
4 Carey Mulligan – Bentley Continental GT
Carey Mulligan is famous for her theater roles and her film roles, such as in Pride & Prejudice (2005), Bleak House (2005), Doctor Who (2007), and more. She made her Broadway debut in 2008 with The Seagull, to critical acclaim. The actress was forced to get behind the wheel in 2010’s Never Let Me Go, but the experience was traumatic because she didn’t know how to drive. She has an American driving license, but when she went back to the UK she couldn’t drive anywhere, again. She was also in a car-oriented action movie alongside Ryan Gosling in 2011’s Drive, which is pretty ironic, and she owns a sweet Bentley Continental GT.
3 JK Rowling – Tesla Model S
JK Rowling might be incredibly famous as the creator of Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of the biggest pop culture phenomena in recent memory, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she isn’t a driver herself: she wrote the first Harry Potter while taking the train to work every day, after all. It makes sense that train travel is so romanticized in Harry Potter, too, doesn’t it? (Though there are flying cars in the series, too, like the Ford Anglia, which is pretty cool). She addressed the subject on Twitter once before, saying, “Because I have no spatial awareness, can’t work machinery, and have a tenuous grasp on reality, it’s really best for everyone I don’t drive.”
2 Ricky Gervais – Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Ricky Gervais is famous for his comedic insights on the original The Office, UK version, prior to the American reboot. He’s also famous for his racy standup comedy, his award-show hosting acumen, his always-controversial talk shows appearances, and production roles. Recently, he’s become known as an adept actor. As he told The Mirror some years ago, “I cannot even drive, and I very rare wear a jacket with jeans and brogues.” This was in response to why he wouldn’t make the best Top Gear host candidate after Jeremy Clarkson was fired from the UK car series. He did eventually get his license, though, and rarely drives his Mercedes.
1 Justin Bieber – Range Rover
Justin Bieber was discovered by talent manager Scooter Braun through YouTube back in 2008, and since then the Biebs has become a worldwide phenomenon. He was the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100. His first full-length album was certified triple platinum in the US. He’s sold an estimated 140 million records and is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. Late this year, he married supermodel Hailey Baldwin. For his 16th birthday, he was given a brand new Range Rover from his main mentor, Usher. For his 18th birthday, he was given a six-figure Fisker Karma, complete with a chrome finish.
Sources: popsugar.com, mirror.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk, huffingtonpost.com, thetimes.co.uk