Similar to Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button started his car collection from humble beginnings. He recalls his first purchase in an interview with Top Gear; “The first car I bought after I passed my test was using £2,000 of my race winnings from karting. It was Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0-litre, the 8V not the 16V, couldn’t afford that, and it was dark blue - a 1990 G-reg with 90,000 miles. I put some 17in wheels on it, Sachs suspension and obviously the speakers every kid had when they were 17. Actually, that thing drove bloody well, once I was finished with it, it was a good little car.”
Fast-forward to his 19th birthday and Button bought himself a Ferrari. Yes, with his own money and even signing his own paper work. Ironically, still being a teen, he wasn’t even allowed to test drive the ride due to not being insured. He nonetheless purchased the yellow 355 Ferrari GTS. It was his first of many Ferrari purchases (he still owns the model today).
Unlike Hamilton, Button isn’t all about fast cars and those that he might be able to make a fortune off of due to resale value. Most recently, Button decided to change his ideology. He is now fuelled by purchasing rides he has a passion for. This mind-set created one of the most diverse garage’s out there and one even Lewis Hamilton might be impressed with. Scroll along as we take a look at a variety of rides in Jenson Button’s garage that would make Lewis Hamilton jealous. Enjoy folks and like always be sure to pass along the article to a friend. Let’s get started!
20 Ferrari F40
Yes, Lewis Hamilton also has some sharp Ferrari rides but can he say that he purchased his first Ferrari at the age of 19? No, he can’t. Button admitted to Top Gear that he made his first Ferrari purchase as a teenager buying a yellow 355 GTS. However he admits his dream car was always the F40. Years later he bought the car as well.
Button admitted to Top Gear that he’s usually motivated by reselling a vehicle and making profit.
However when it comes to the F40 he was motivated by other factors; “The car that meant so much to me as a child was the F40, because I had three things on my bedroom wall: Bart Simpson, Pamela Anderson and the Ferrari F40. I looked for a year and found a few low mileage cars, but they were all in bad condition. I eventually found one that was completely original with more miles on it.”
19 Bugatti Veyron
Ferraris, Maybachs, Mercedes and so much more – these are some of the rides you can find in the garage of Lewis Hamilton. What you can’t find is anything related to a Bugatti. On the other hand Button invested in the car making the purchase a couple of years ago. However he admits that he didn’t have the greatest history with the car due to various troubles; “I went through a phase of loving the Bugatti Veyron, which I owned for a couple of months. I enjoyed it, but I couldn’t deal with the insurance and the servicing and if you damaged a tyre it was £5,000 and you had to buy another wheel, which was £5,000. That wasn’t fun, I spent the whole time worrying. So I sold it.”
18 Ferrari Enzo
After he sold the Bugatti his following purchase was the classic Ferrari Enzo – not a bad ride to replace a Bugatti with. We’ll let you guys decide on who owned the better Ferrari rides. Hamilton owns the Aperta along with the stunning 599 GTO.
For Button, his time with the Enzo was only limited to two weeks.
Button felt as though the ride didn’t meet his expectations, he recalls his experience with Top Gear; “I bought an Ferrari Enzo… and owned that for two weeks. I didn’t get on with it at all, it just felt cumbersome and lazy. The problem was it felt like a race car, but wasn’t a race car, so what exactly was it? Really I should have held on to it because it would be worth a fortune now.”
17 Rolls Royce Ghost
Here’s another luxury ride Lewis might be jealous of. It isn’t all about speed for Button and the rides he chooses to own. Jenson appreciates fine luxury just as much. For that reason not only did he purchase the Rolls Royce Ghost but he also recently worked a campaign alongside Rolls Royce promoting the all new Wraith. We can just imagine Floyd Mayweather nodding his head in approval somewhere. The Rolls Royce Ghost remains a popular model. The vehicle type entered production back in 2010. The ride doesn’t come cheap that’s for darn sure. 2018 base models go for a near $600,000 price tag!
16 McLaren 675LT
Lewis Hamilton is known for riding around in LA with some of the hottest luxury sports cars such as the Ferrari Aperta. One of his top purchases has to be the McLaren P1, a dream car for a lot of us out there.
However, Hamilton might be a little jealous seeing Jenson Button riding around Beverly Hills in his new McLaren 675LT Spider.
McLaren Beverly Hills posted the photo above. The ride was specifically shipped out for Button last year. It contains a V8 and 675 horsepower. Clearly it’s a stud on both the outside and inside.
15 1956 VW Campervan
It seems as though every athlete makes a random purchase from time to time. For Button, the most random purchase has to be not one but two VW campers. Button stated to Top Gear that he went through a camper phase following the sale of his Ferrari Enzo; “I bought two vans – one for the UK and one for Monaco. One was gold - a fifteen-window - the other one was a van, which was originally stickered up and painted as a Coca-Cola van. It had the original 1.2-litre engine in it so I got rid of that, stuck in a 2.0-litre VW engine, 200bhp, did all the suspension, added Fuchs wheels. I loved that car - still own it as well.”
14 1976 Ford Bronco
For those that love diversity Button’s garage might be a lot more impressive compared to Hamilton’s. Lewis has a garage littered with speed and various types of Mercedes. Rarely does he buy SUV types and never has he purchased an old school bad boy comparable to Button’s ’76 Bronco. Jenson posted the ride to his Instagram account.
It was the first new addition to his dream garage for the 2018 calendar year.
It seems as though Bronco’s are making a comeback nowadays. For that reason buying the car is a wise choice especially for future resale value.
13 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
This ride is an absolute beast and one suitable for Lewis Hamilton’s personal garage. It’s a blazing sports car with lots of power. Among its noticeable features is a 700 horsepower and 2.8 second acceleration from 0-100 km/h. The car is an absolute beauty both on the inside and out. Obviously it doesn’t come cheap either with a minimum price point of $334,000. Despite its obvious beauty Button claims that it was his last purchase motivated by resale purposes; “ I had a Porsche GT2 RS, a couple of other fun things, but then it reached a point when I decided I only wanted to buy cars that meant something to me, not just because they were the next new thing.”
12 McLaren P1
It only makes sense given his lengthy history with McLaren that he would purchase the P1. His only regret was not helping to develop the stunning ride. Button admitted to Top Gear that its one of his only cars that he can drive on the track as well due to its blazing speed capabilities; “It’s a car that will help you when you get into a difficult situation, but it needs to, it’s got 900bhp. It’s the only road car I’ve driven on a circuit that feels good. Most road cars don’t, they’re made for the road, they’re not quick enough, they don’t have the right downforce, mechanical grip, whatever. I didn’t develop it myself, I wish I did, but I’m happy with what they did with it.”
11 1980 Pontiac Trans-Am
It might not be Hamilton’s Shelby Cobra but man is this car ever a classic beauty as well. According to Mecum Auctions Button received a massive ovation for being the highest bidder for this one of a kind gem. The ride is a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am.
This is another car totally different to what most would expect to be featured in his garage.
It doesn’t have the same overall value to Hamilton’s Shelby Cobra, a vehicle with a worth in the millions. However take nothing away from this ride, it is quite stunning and not to mention it is completely restored as well. Unlike Lewis, Jenson won’t need a tow truck once he’s done with it!
10 Suzuki Jeep
Really? A darn Suzuki? Well, this has quite the story. According to Button it was the first ride he was able to drive. In comparison to Lewis that’s one heck of an upgrade. Hamilton’s first ride was also a hand-me-down. However it was a lot less luxurious, a mini! Although Hamilton appreciated the way the car drove it cost dirt cheap. Without a doubt he’s got a little bit of envy for Button’s first ride. Jenson recalls the experience of riding around in the Jeep back in the day; “The first car I actually drove, besides go karts from the age of eight and Formula Fords, the first road car, was the Suzuki ‘Jeep’ – the square one before the Vitara. My dad would let me drive it in the field across from the house, he remembers looking out the window and seeing me going backwards at 40mph.”
9 1956 Chevy 3100
He calls it the "Smurf truck." Button posted his 50s purchase to Instagram last year. It was among three of his new rides bought in the LA area; “I went to an auction with my eyes on a car… and came home with three. But they were all pretty affordable, and irresistible. There’s a Trans-Am, a Chevy Bel Air powered by a 500bhp LS7 Corvette engine and a 1956 Chevy 3100 pick-up (pictured).” We can safely say Lewis Hamilton never purchased such a ride, unless you count his first ever Mini. However in terms of actual value it isn’t worth much in comparison to this unique Chevy pickup from the mid 50s. A mini can be purchased for under $1,000.
8 Chevy Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air is another old school ride purchased at an auction last year. This model type actually withstood three decades lasting throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s.
By the early 1980s the model type finally came to an end.
Button admits he’s rarely driven any of the three rides purchased at the auction. Heck he’s only used the Trans Am once. As for his Bel Air Button admitted that he’s tempted to sell some of the parts on the inside; “The Bel Air? Well, that engine! I might end up selling it, but you can’t regret that engine.”
7 Honda CB750 Motorcycle
He might not have his own motorcycle line with MV Agusta similar to Lewis Hamilton however Button does have a couple of motorcycle rides. We’ll give the edge to Hamilton in this clash due to his stunning Ducati and Agustas. However still, Button has quite the collection. He recently posted this customized Honda ride claiming it was the next motorcycle to potentially enter his garage. Among his other motorcycle rides, Button is also the proud owner of a vintage two-seater with an extra place attached to the side. Basically like the old school Batman and Robin ride but with a blue color scheme.
6 Ferrari F355 GTS
As we discussed earlier in the article Button purchased his first Ferrari at the age of 19! His choice of ride was a second-hand yellow Ferrari 355 GTS. In fact, the F1 legend still owns the car to this very day. He recalls the experience during an interview with Top Gear; “ I was 19 years old, I bought a Ferrari. It was yellow, a 355 GTS, second-hand, it was two years old and I absolutely loved it. I remember I went to go and view the car at the dealership and wasn’t allowed to test drive it because I wasn’t old enough for their insurance, so I had to sit in the passenger seat and get a feel for it. I put the money down, did the paperwork and then drove it home. And I still own that car.”
5 Ferrari 275 GTS Cabriolet
This model is quite the investment and one Lewis Hamilton might be envious of especially considering he flips most of his car purchases as well. The 275 is a ride from back in the 60s. Ferrari produced almost 1,000.
According to Hagerty the GTS model has an astronomical worth near a $2 million value these days.
Even the rides that are said to be in “fair” condition are estimated be worth over $1 million. Who knows if he’ll end up flipping the ride but given its value he might be wise to hang on a little longer and eventually sell the vehicle.
4 1970 Pontiac GTO
This car rivals Hamilton’s 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. In terms of value Hamilton might have the better ride however it’s all about personal taste when assessing which ride a driver would rather. The GTO maintains a terrific resale value these days. Via Hemmings numerous GTO’s go for over $50,000. This is potentially another worthwhile investment for the F1 driver. This particular model surprisingly lasted only a decade - though it maintains quite the legacy despite a short run. It’s one of those classic muscle cars that never seems to be outdated. Produced in the mid-60s it maintains its form as a sought after collectors item.
3 Porsche Carrera RS 911
A 911 from the 1970s, Button put this stunning ride up for sale back in 2011. The cost for the ride wasn’t a cheap one with a near $250,000 price tag. However according to Top Gear the ride is regarded as the “holy grail” of 911 model types. The goal for this car back in the day was to create a ride suitable for a wealthy businessman while giving them something to race around with on the weekends. A pretty good concept wouldn’t you say? Only 500 ever got built. Given the performance and style of the ride it became very sought after. Wisely Button decided to sell this ride and we assume he profited quite nicely.
2 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
This vintage ride actually belonged to his father according to Which Car. Once again similar rides don’t come cheap, Hemmings has a similar Corvette model selling for $129,000 at the moment. However given that the ride was a hand-me-down by his father, he might not be interested in selling the car. Once again Hamilton has few comparable to this ride. When it comes to vintage cars Hamilton has nowhere near the extensive line of vehicles similar to Button. Without a doubt Hamilton must be at least a little envious when it comes to Jenson’s slew of classic and rare rides.
1 Ford GT
If you had 250,000 Euros sitting in the bank which is roughly $287,813 American, this ride could have been yours to own. According to Telegraph Button put the ride up for sale at an auction. It was expected to break the bank it terms of a return. As Telegraph indicates the vintage stunning ride is loaded with goodness: “Powered by a mid-mounted, hand-built, supercharged quad-cam 550bhp V8 engine mated to a six-speed manual transaxle and featuring racing-derived suspension and braking systems, the GT accelerates from 0-60mph in 3.5sec, with a maximum of 205mph before the speed limiter kicks in.” This ride might have secured Button’s superior collection over Hamilton’s.
Sources: Barrett-Jackson.com, RMSothebys.com, Mecum.com