Star cars: like regular people, celebrities are passionate about their rides, too

Ebony, Nov, 2007 by Miki Turner

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Nothing adds to a celebrity's glam appeal more than a cool ride even if it's not quite up and running--as was the case with Girlfriends star Reggie Hayes and his 1963 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

"It gets seven miles to the gallon," Hayes deadpans when talking about the classic ride he bought about eight years ago from a used lot on Sunset Boulevard. "They didn't want hardly anything for it, and now I've put about seven times more than what I paid for it into it. The more you drive it, the more stuff breaks.

"But I love the color, the shiny chrome. It's sort of like driving in a waterbed. It kind of floats. And I love the way people look at it when I'm driving down the street."

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Like everyone else, celebrities want to feel cool and comfortable in their rides. It doesn't matter if it's a brand new Mercedes-Benz with leather seats as soft as a baby's bottom, or a classic car that wasn't the most luxurious model on the assembly the year it was released. Some folks, like CBS sportscaster James Brown, just like the look and feel of old-school wheels. Brown's primary car is a Yukon Denali, and he also has a two-seater Benz for those days when he wants to ride in style. But neither of those cars can compete with his old Chews and a prized 1950 Mercury he acquired from the widow of NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White shortly after White's death three years ago.

"The old-school cars have so much individuality expressed by the manufacturers," says Brown, an avid car collector. "They have unique body styles and just little touches that reflect the individuality of the consumers. And it's just kind of cool the way people look at you when you're driving one of them down the street. They give you the thumbs up."

Fashion designer Kevan Hall shares those sentiments. Whenever he pops into his 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280E convertible, people tend to stare. Hall acquired the car from Mercedes-Benz Classics in Irvine, Calif., and can't get over how well the car has held up.

"I just love the classic lines and the engine is solid," says Hall. "It cruises beautifully. Mercedes builds them and they're the best."

What Range Rovers lack in unique body styling they make up for in comfort and handling. The British import is one of the most popular cars among the entertainment set in L.A. It is particularly popular with several stars and executives at the CW television network. Tia Mowry and Hosea Chanchez, who play Melanie and Malik on The Game, both roll in the pricey SUVs (around $76,000), as does their boss, the show's creator and executive producer, Mara Brock Akil.

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Akil's white Range Rover was a surprise Christmas gift from her husband, director/writer Salim Akil. He actually bought the car before the holidays and parked it at the Studio City lot where Brock shoots both her shows--The Game and Girlfriends--in adjoining soundstages.

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"The thing about it is that I would have never bought this car for myself," she says. "I was about to get a Prius because I just couldn't do it for myself. That's what is so beautiful about this--he did it for me because he knew I wouldn't do it. It kind of reminds me that it's a touchstone to success. I've worked hard for it."

Mowry concurred.

"It didn't take me a long time to decide what car to get after I realized I could get it," says Mowry. "I've actually always wanted a Range Rover. What I love mostly about Range Rovers is that they sit up really high. So, when you're driving on the freeway--especially with the traffic in L.A.--you can see over a lot of the cars and determine what the traffic is really like."

And Chanchez simply liked the look and the feel.

"It's been my dream," Chanchez says. "I knew the moment that I got a little bit of success that I was going to get a Range Rover because I had been eyeing them since I was about 17. I love the ride. I have the Sport. I drove the regular Range Rover and the Sport ($60,000), and for me the Sport drove more like a car."

Just as popular as the Range Rovers, however, are the Benzes. When it comes to luxury and reliability, nothing really comes close to the car that is considered the standard of success globally. EMI record executive Big Jon Platt has the best of both worlds. He has a 2007 Range Rover and a 2004 Mercedes Maybach, which is one of the most expensive cars on the market. A 2007 Maybach costs about $335,000.

Atlanta-based rapper Chingy is also a proud Mercedes-Benz owner; he cruises around town in his CL550 Coupe ($150,000). Chingy says he first peeped his dream ride at a car show and knew that he had to have it. "It's sporty and luxurious," he says. "I've been driving them for a while. I had the CL550 sedan, but when they came out with the coupe, I had to change up."

Chingy says the one good thing about Mercedes is that you get what you pay for--meaning he didn't have to add anything other than some new rims.

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Former Benz owner Shemar Moore, however, enjoys customizing his car. He removes the emblems when he purchases a vehicle and adds a kit package so that his cars become a true reflection of the man behind the wheel. His latest car, the BMW 645ci ($75,000), satisfies his aesthetic requirements and his need for speed.