Chrysler Cars, Minivans, and Trucks Owned by Celebrities
A large number of Chrysler Corporation vehicles have been owned by famous people and celebrities, even before the Viper. While Chrysler has not usually had the benefit of the kind of hype that surrounds the Mustang and Corvette, they have attracted a number of admirable and sensible people who could have any car they wanted.
The list of show folk: musicians
| Person | Notable Car(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Randy Bachman | Drove a Dodge B-Van (Ram Van) when touring with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Then-dealer-employee J.P. Joans accidentally broke its driveshaft when it was in for repairs. | 4 |
| Richard Carpenter ("The Carpenters") | Collects Mopars - 300 letter-cars, Road Runners, Chargers, Imperials, and more | 4 |
| Johnny Cash | 1954 Plymouth Savoy was "the best car I ever owned." Had other Mopars. His family will be keeping the car. | 3 |
| “Professor” Cosmo Fishhawk | Cartoon character in “Shoe” drives a 1959 DeSoto Firedome | |
| Snoop Dog | 2004 300C | 4 |
| Funkmaster Flex | 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 and 1969 Dodge Charger R/T | 6 |
| Waylon Jennings | 1969 "General Lee" Dodge Charger - given to him after he told the Dukes producers he loved the way it looked. | 5 |
| John Lennon | Green 1972 Chrysler station wagon. John Lennon was quoted as saying he had an emotional attachment to the wagon. Personal assistant Fred Seaman convinced Yoko Ono to replace it with a Mercedes 300 despite John’s liking for the Chrysler. Auctioned in 2011. | |
| Susie MacNelly | The artist who draws “Shoe” owns a restored 1959 DeSoto Firedome | |
| All members of NSync | Plymouth Prowlers | 4 |
| Jim Morrison | Doors front-man drove a 1968 Dodge Charger from late 1969 to March 1971. | 4 |
| Jon Schneider | 1969 "General Lee" Dodge Hemi Charger; he also drove the close-up General Lee. “He recently dropped in a overbored Hemi and is racing it in amateur events. The car averaged 152.18 mph at a recent event (see Muscle Car Review).” | 5 |
| Frank Sinatra | C300; 1981 Imperial; Imperial converted to limo; still owned by the family and is in Palm Springs. Also owned a Ghia designed/built 1957 Chrysler. | 4, 9 |
| Kenny Wayne Shepherd | 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8, 1969 Xtreme Dodge Charger, 1970 Plymouth Duster, 1972 Dodge Charger | 4 |
Show folk: actors, movie and TV folk, sports folk, writers, and such
Let’s get this out of the way: Viper owners.
Actors: Tom Cruise, Kelsey Grammer, David Hasselhoff, Hulk Hogan (if it has a script, it’s acting), Jay Leno, Charlie Sheen, Roseann Barr, Nicholas Cage.
Singers: Justin Timberlake, LeeAnn Rhimes, Alan Jackson (who reportedly got it while on tour).
| Person | Notable Car(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Affleck | Dodge Ram | 4 |
| Danny Bilson | (Viper TV show maker) 2000 Dodge Caravan | 5 |
| Tom Brady | (Patriots QB) Dodge Ram | 4 |
| Paget Brewster | Actress, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU: 2001 PT Cruiser (reported in 9/25/12 TV Guide.) | 4 |
| Pearl S. Buck | (Writer) Imperial | 4 |
| Joe DiMaggio | According to Frank Gentile, was driving an Imperial in 1972-73 | 4 |
| Michael Thomas Dunn | 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, 1973 Plymouth Duster, Daytona Turbo, SRT-4, Dakota R/T. "He won't drive a non-Mopar." | 6 |
| Mylene Farmer | French singer-songwriter-acterss who drove an LHS | 4 |
| James Garner | (Rockford Files, Maverick, etc): Raced Jeeps offroad and paid for a successful 1970s AMC Rambler off-road racer | 4 |
| Red Green | Dodge Viper, Ram truck | 4 |
| Tom Hanks | 2001 PT Cruiser | 5 |
| Hulk Hogan | 1994 Viper and 1996 Viper GTS; was seen driving a 1968 Charger. | 4, 7 |
| Bob Hope | Favored Chryslers - and was often sponsored by Chrysler. | 4 |
| Don Johnson | 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda - he may have sold it at auction | 5 |
| Jay Leno | 1993 Viper R/T, 1996 Viper, and many others | 5 |
| Larry the Cable Guy | Dodge Ram Laramie | 4 |
| Albert Namatjira | “Australia's most famous indigenous artist” drove a right-hand-drive Dodge truck with his name and profession painted on it | 4 |
| Burt Reynolds | 1981-83 Imperial converted to limo; seen in STICK, Canonball Run II, and Sharkey’s Machine. Sold it to the current owner, in Scotsdale AZ, in 1985. | 9 |
| Ginger Rogers | DeSoto spokeswoman, claimed to own one | |
| Ed Sanchez | (Blair Witch filmmaker) 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 5 |
| Jon Schneider | 1969 "General Lee" Dodge Hemi Charger | 5 |
| Kevin Smith | (director) White Neon - seen in Chasing Amy - mentioned in commentary. | 4 |
| Morgan Spurlock | Producer/Director of Supersize Me owned and drove a Chrysler minivan throughout the film | |
| Brooke Shields | Dodge 400 and other convertibles. Chrysler presented her with a (1982?) LeBaron, the first off the line. | |
| Paulie Teutel | ("American Chopper") Dodge Ram (his mother drives a Prowler) | 4 |
Businessmen
| Person | Who Are They? | Notable Car(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Iaccoca | Chrysler CEO; Ford exec | Could have just about any Ford and Chrysler products he wanted; in 2000, he was driving a PT Cruiser though a top of the line Ford was in his garage. | . |
| Howard Hughes | Businessman, flier | Imperials including a 1953 New Yorker with AirTemp air conditioning | 4 |
| Kirk Kerkorian | Money shuffler | His MGM Grand had a fleet of emerald first-generation Chrysler LHS limousines; he used them when in town | 4 |
| Carl and Margaret Karcher | Founders of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. | Took out a loan on their 1941 Plymouth to start their first business (in 1945). | 3 |
Others
| Person | Who Are They? | Notable Car(s) | Note |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzz Aldrin | Astronaut | Hennessey Viper | 8 | |
| Edward Teller | A-bomb leader | 1940s Plymouth (during the war) | 4 | |
| Amelia Earhart | Pioneering pilot | 1929 Chrysler 75 | 11 |
Military Men
Also see General Eisenhower, General Powell, and Admiral Blanco above. General George C. Marshall called the Willys Jeep “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.”
| General | Cars | Note |
|---|---|---|
| General Douglas MacArthur | 1950 Imperial 8 passenger limo | 4 |
| General Pershing (U.S.) | Used Dodge cars to chase Pancho Villa - cars performed flawlessly in the desert. Villa was killed in his own Dodge. | 1 |
Also see: Mopars of Government Leaders and Statesmen • Mopars in Movies • Mopars on TV • Mopars of Song
Thanks to:
- James Hale.
- Scott B.
- Jim Benjaminson.
- E8502, Duster, magnum4.7, pentastarfan, 69SE383, kerryman, voyager_expresso, valiant67, jeff2kpatriotblue, johnb300m, freelantz, archdyzn, Mark Schmidt, Steve Landon, John Daigle, Thomas Elkins, yoda, Curtis Redgap, Steve, Mopar Ernie, J.M. Charbin, nightrider88, George from Brooklyn, Manfred Namatjira, J.P. Joans, Dave Duricy, Graham Combs, Adam C. Clark, Dr. Daniel F. Muldoon, others
- Name lost! Please contact us.
- Rick Rogers
- Jake ("Outkast187")
- FreeLantz
- James Hannaford
- Bill Cawthon
- J.P. Joans, who supplied the photo as well. A 1955 corporate history claimed she introduced the new Plymouth at Madison Square Garden, but Jim Benjaminson, after much research, discovered that she never did, though Chrysler did give her the blue Chrysler roadster in the photo.
Chrysler Heritage • History by Year • Chrysler People and Bios • Corporate Facts and History