If you're a fan of custom cars, you've almost certainly heard of custom car builder and TV personality Jesse James. With several successful TV shows in the 2000s contributing to his massive rise in fame, the one that stood out was James’ Monster Garage, where he radically redesigned average-looking vehicles into over-the-top machines.
Inarguably, James is one of the most popular figures in the automotive world, and fans were happy to see him return to the television screen in 2020. James’ vehicle collection, much like his love for cars itself, has always been massive, and here’s a peek into his garage.
10 Jaguar XKR
Jesse James having a car like the Jaguar XKR figures, doesn't it? After all, it's an awfully badass vehicle, for an equally badass man. In fact, James has blacked out his Jaguar entirely, adding to the appeal of his car, and uses it as a daily driver, too.
Surely, the great blend of power and sleek design drew in the enthusiast that Jesse is, and safe to say, he definitely made the right call—both in getting the X-KR and then going the extra mile to black this beauty out completely, from the rims to the windows.
9 Custom Chevy Silverado
One of Jesse's go-to cars ever since he moved to Texas has been his custom Chevy Silverado. Taking notes and inspiration from his days on the West Coast when he raced the Baja 100 race, he put in a lot of off-road traits into his Silverado.
Undoubtedly, his decked-out Silverado is one of his most preferred vehicles. Again, as with his Jaguar X-KR, Jesse James has blacked out his Silverado pick-up truck as well—there does seem to be a pattern emerging, doesn't there?
8 1951 Mercury Coupe
Back in '06, James spent a lot of weekends holed up in a corner of the Austin Speed Shop working on a 1951 Mercury Coupe. This was a product of his laborious efforts which he painted a beautiful Blue Diamond Crystal Pearl.
Of course, as is the case with any car the legendary Jesse James works on, it is quite unmistakable, with its thick whitewall tires and the beautiful Blue Diamond paint job. In fact, this 1951 Mercury Coupe is quite popular itself, having featured on many magazine covers. Moreover, it's what many believe led James to buy the Austin Speed Shop for himself.
7 2006 Ford GT
It's obvious that an enthusiast and car lover like Jesse James would have the need for speed. A testament to that is his 2006 Ford GT—one of the fastest American production cars ever made. A marvel of design and performance, the GT itself is just as iconic as its owner in Austin.
Sadly, the GT got the better of James in 2011, when he reportedly crashed it into his neighbor's yard in Texas. However, a notoriously twisty lane was to blame for this, as the Ford GT wasn't the only car that crashed on that particular lane.
6 Hennessey Ford Raptor
Back in 2010, right in the middle of his marital crisis with popular American actress Sandra Bullock, Jesse purchased himself a brand-new Hennessey Velociraptor 575. Moreover, he even shelled out an additional $11,000 for a tune-up kit to boot and deck out his truck right after purchase.
Hennessey even gave James' beast of a truck a dyno test, where the Velociraptor produced 496 horsepower with 473 lb-ft of torque after James was done tinkering under its hood. Again, an unmistakable hallmark of the truck having been in the hands of Jesse James was the fact that it barely fit the dyno—just how a truck should be if you were to ask the right people.
5 1962 Chevy Impala
Jesse James sure has quite the taste when it comes to cars. Then again, you don't become one of the most famous automotive celebrities in the world without having one. With a distinctive design that bears the hallmarks of a Jesse James work, his 1962 Impala is the quintessential Golden State car.
When it comes to the car itself, the Chevy Impala is one of the most iconic and well-known cars across the globe. From fictional ghost-hunter Dean Winchester to hip-hop legend Dr. Dre, everybody has wanted an Impala, and we can't blame. Similarly, neither can Jesse James.
4 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
The Plymouth Roadrunner is a drag racing piece of history that turned up on Jesse James' eBay page back in '13. According to James' own description of the car's history, an outlawed motorcycle club member-owned it in its heyday.
The Mopar muscle engine under the hood of the Roadrunner must have been impossible for James to pass on, as would be the case for anyone who likes cars and their history. Furthermore, Jesse even took out the car's Torque flight transmission in order to put it to use in another open of his pet projects.
3 GMC Hummer H1
That Jesse James has a Hummer is something that simply tracks, is it not? After all, the Hummer H1 has always been known as a symbol of power. Granted, the market has evolved with a bucket load of better options, but for someone as proudly old-school as James, a decked-out, heavily-customized heavy-duty truck like the Hummer H1 must have been a no-brainer.
While we're at it, take a look at the specially-customized Humvee that Jesse James restored. The car had seen time in Iraq, and when back home, James restored and redesigned it, from new paint and vinyls to custom, cobweb-shaped rims. He then donated the Humvee to Soldiers' Angels, a military support non-profit organization.
2 1932 Ford Roadster
A beautiful piece of machinery with equally beautiful heritage, the Ford Roadster from 1932 truly completes an enthusiast's garage. Of course, Jesse James wouldn't have let it go without adding his personal touches, and so he did, painting the car in a deep maroon-rust that is textbook West Coast Choppers.
The Roadster even got a feature on Outlaw Garage back in the day, as James and his Austin Speed Shop crew toiled on it. In fact, James made the special windshield himself, along with the headlight bar, too. Not only is this Roadster a beautiful hotrod, but its history and value only increased after Jesse got his hands on it.
1 1952 Chevrolet Styleline
James' 1952 Chevrolet Styleline is a reminder to every Monster Garage fan out there that the designer was very much as real as they got in the Southern California hotrod scene. His '32 Ford Roadster was a hallmark of the same.
Furthermore, this was right up Jesse James' alley—yesteryear hotrods were apparently his jam, weren't they? With a unique engine under the hood that Jesse installed himself, and was later rebuilt in La Cresta, California. A trendsetter like James having a trendsetter like the Styleline? It almost seems scripted.