SIR Paul McCartney has lived a life of musical stardom and the relentless touring associated with it.
Spending so much time on the road, the Beatle has seemingly developed a taste for some top-class cars.
GettySir Paul McCartney has owned some top-notch cars over the years[/caption]
The Beatle’s motoring back catalogue is worth over £2 millionSplash
With a back catalogue of motors collectively worth more than £2 million, Sir Paul is right up there when it comes to celeb car collections.
Here are some of the highlights from across his 60-plus-year career.
Austin Healey 3000
AlamyThe Austin Healey 3000 was the car at the centre of the famous Paul McCartney death hoax in 1966 (stock image)[/caption]
As well as being one of the most popular cars of the 1950s, the Austin Healey 3000 is the vehicle at the centre of one of music’s biggest conspiracy theories.
Rumours began to surface in 1966 that Sir Paul had been killed in a crash while driving his 3000 in London.
These were then picked up in the US in 1969, prompting one of the largest death hoaxes ever, at the height of Beatle Mania too.
Thankfully, the bassist and singer was and is alive and well.
Indeed, back in 1974, he joked about the reports in an interview with Rolling Stone, saying: “Someone from the office rang me up and said, ‘Look, Paul, you’re dead.’ And I said, ‘Oh, I don’t agree with that.’”
Lamborghini 400GT (2+2)
Splash NewsSir Paul’s Lambo went up for sale for £400,000 in 2018[/caption]
Sir Paul snapped up this stunning V12 Lambo in 1967 and had it converted to right-hand drive before hanging on to it for over 10 years.
The 400GT was only the second car made by the brand and just 247 were produced, with no more than four reaching the UK.
It went up for sale in 2018 for £400,000 but the auctioneers advertising it have not confirmed whether a buyer was found.
Mini Cooper S Deville
GettyHis Mini broke records when it went under the hammer the same year[/caption]
Like The Beatles, the Mini Cooper is an iconic part of ’60s British culture.
This example was one of four ordered by the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, for the group in 1965.
The set was heavily modified by luxury coachbuilders Harold Radford & Co for some extra wow factor.
Sir Paul’s even appeared in the Magical Mystery Tour film in 1967 and sold in 2018 for £1820,000 – a world record for a Mini at the time.
Aston Martin DB5
AlamySir Paul picked up his DB5 just days before the release of the Bond film that made the model famous[/caption]
Sir Paul bought the 1964 DB5 as just his second car as he returned to the road following a 12-month ban for speeding in Wallasey, Merseyside.
He managed to pick it up just five days before the premier of the legendary Bond film Goldfinger, which made the model famous.
It cost him £4,000 at the time, equivalent to just over £67,000 today, but sold in 2017 for £1.3 million.
The car even featured a custom number plate in honour of its owner, which read 64 MAC.
The star also bought the next model, a DB6, two years later.
It was a trip to see John Lennon’s son Julian in that very car that inspired Sir Paul to write Hey Jude, considered by many as The Beatles’ greatest hit.
Chevrolet C5 Corvette
AlamyThe star bought a Corvette in 2005[/caption]
The Corvette is a more recent addition to Sir Paul’s collection, giving a flavour of his later life in the US.
The C5 was designed as a celebration of Chevvy’s 50th anniversary, and the Brit-pop legend has been driving it since 2005.
Not only is it rapid, with 345 horsepower, but the drop-top allows him to enjoy the LA sunshine while taking it for a spin near his home in Beverly Hills.
Why did The Beatles break up?
The Beatles broke fans’ hearts when the band members went their separate ways after a decade on top of the music industry,
One of the first British bands to properly crack America and a cultural phenomenon at home, the Liverpool-based group is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time.
The quartet, formed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, called it quits in 1970 amid rumblings of tension within the band.
Lennon’s drug use and relationship with Yoko Ono, the death of manager Brian Epstein and a well-publicised legal dispute over McCartney’s first solo album are all cited as contributing factors to the dissolution of the Beatles.
For a more in-depth look into the story of the split, you can read our explainer on the subject.
Daily Drives
AlamyA Ford Bronco SUV holds extra weight as the car that carried Sir Paul and future wife Nancy Shevell across the US in 2008 (stock image)[/caption]
While Sir Paul has owned a number of ultra-rare and luxury cars over the years, he’s also found space in his stable for some more humble runaround.
A 1989 Ford Bronco SUV holds particularly emotional significance as it was the vehicle used by the musician and his then-girlfriend Nancy Shevell for a 2008 road trip across the US.
The couple remain together to this day, having married in 2011.
Aside from the Bronco, Sir Paul has owned a hybrid Lexus LS 600h, while his first car was a Ford Consul Classic he picked up in 1962, two years after The Beatles formed.
In fact, three of the band had Fords as their first car – with only John Lennon bucking the trend by opting for a flashier Ferrari 330 GT.
The bassist and singer was inspired to write Hey Jude while driving his Aston Martin DB6Getty
GettyOne of his motors sold for over £1.3 million[/caption]
GettyHe even served a 12-month driving ban back in 1963 after being caught speeding in Merseyside[/caption]