Almost like the female equivalent of Henry VIII, Zsa Zsa Gabor is famous for her eight ex-husbands and huge wealth. Yet, behind the headlines and trumpeted film roles hides a collection of exotic classic cars very few know about.
From Bentleys to the finest of offerings from Mercedes-Benz, Zsa Zsa Gabor has been caught behind the wheel of various exquisite automobiles. Having owned more cars than she has husbands, the cars in her life appear to have escaped the pithy comments reserved for men. Not that life behind the wheel has always been kind to her - back in 2002 Gabor ended up in a coma after the car she was riding in collided with a lamppost.
Born in 1917 and crowned as Miss Hungary in 1936, Zsa Zsa moved to the United States just as World War II started to ravage mainland Europe. Sought throughout Hollywood as a popular European with flair and style, her car history appears to match the claims that Zsa Zsa lived as ‘glamour personified’. Here are four highlights from her extensive automotive history.
Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II
Zsa Zsa’s Silver Cloud II is a one off. Only 299 examples of the 2716 Cloud IIs built were long wheelbase vehicles - and Gabor’s received lashings of personalisation. From etched windows to an engulfing golden crust of lavish paint, automotive Hollywood legend George Barris (designer of the Batmobile among many others) tailored the 6.2-litre V8 for Gabor to show off during the 1978 Auto Expo. It was recently sold at auction for a sizeable chunk of money.
Rolls Royce Corniche
Gabor’s white $215,000 Rolls-Royce Corniche made front-page news in September 1989 when she slapped a police officer after being pulled over during a routine traffic stop. A pursuit, followed by an altercation and arrest, set gossip columnists and tabloids alight with some rather unwanted publicity for Rolls-Royce. After investigation it emerged that Zsa Zsa had been driving without a license and in possession of an open container of alcohol. She was sentenced to three days in jail, 120 hours of community service at a homeless shelter for women and fined $2,350, plus $10,000 reimbursement of extraordinary court costs.
Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
As a sign of gratitude for showing his nephew around Hollywood, Dominican diplomat, racing car driver and polo player Porfirio Rubirosa sent Zsa Zsa a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. Joining Sophia Loren in ownership of possibly the coolest Mercedes ever, the trail thereafter goes cold. However, we are positive that the gifted 300SL Gullwing is still out there hiding in a shed as someone’s smart investment - good examples easily sell for over £1 million.
Studebaker Lark
We’ll let Zsa Zsa give her own opinion on her Studebaker Lark. The jail reference almost seems ironic. We also reckon she still doesn’t have a clue how brake discs work. At least she is honest…