Did you know grillmaster George Foreman is also a grille-master? That is, a car collector with enough vehicles in his stable to hold his own dedicated auction? We didn’t either, but Hagerty Marketplace has enlightened us: the auction site has opened bidding on the George Foreman Collection, a group of over 50 cars, trucks and motorcycles that span eight decades, from a 1931 Ford Model A to a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Transformers Special Edition, all of which are offered without reserve.
The first question that comes to mind: Does George Foreman have good taste in cars? As we’ve seen over the years, money doesn’t buy taste, and neither does celebrity. For every Tom Hanks, there’s also a Justin Bieber.
As the bookend Ford and Chevy models noted above make clear, Foreman did manage to piece together a collection with both historical significance and rarified power. Other unimpeachable vehicles up for auction include a 2005 Ford GT, 1987 Ferrari Testarossa, 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray and 2000 BMW Z8, all of which currently have bids of $80,000 or more. With the lots set to end bidding at various times between December 11 and 21, you can expect those numbers to grow over the next few weeks.
Tom Hanks Built a Perfectly Balanced Car Collection. Now He’s Selling It.
Who knew America’s dad also has great taste in cars?(Also for those interested in placing bids, make sure to read the fine print and ask for any additional imagery/video you’d like, as some of the cars are noted to have received cosmetic damage from “a garage fire caused by a golf cart battery in March 2019,” and many are are being sold in “non-running condition” as they’ve been stored for years without being operated.)
Besides the obvious highlights, there are also some curious, intriguing and frankly ludicrous vehicles in the mix here. A celebrity like Foreman owning a Ford GT isn’t all that surprising, but owning a Plymouth Prowler with leopard-print flames? Now that you don’t see every day. Below, find that oddity along with five other outrageous lots from the auction.
1999 Plymouth Prowler
According to Foreman, he acquired this beauty, customized by California’s Carlini Design, from NBA star Dennis Rodman — the only person for whom ordering a yellow Prowler covered in leopard-print fire makes complete sense.
1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
Another Rodman acquisition, but this time not only does the car get the feline flames, it also has a piercing (zoom in on the rear spoiler).
1998 Custom Chopper
The final entry in the leopard inferno collection-within-a-collection, this custom motorcycle is more in line with Carlini Design’s standard fare, as they specialize in Harley-Davidson builds. As such, this chopper features Harley’s Evolution V-twin engine.
1995 AM General Hummer H1
This HMCO model of the Hummer H1 is a four-door open-top variant. Skip the normal sporty convertible — everyone and their mother has one of those — and get yourself a military-grade summertime cruiser (with winch!).
1955 Ford F-100 Custom Hot Rod Pickup
The name doesn’t give a true impression of this Frankenstein build. Yes, it features a custom-fabricated, one-piece 1953-1956 Ford F-100 front end, but it also includes suicides doors, Corvette taillights, a custom “V8” grille (to match the small-block Chevy V8) and a leather-trimmed truck bed. Seriously.
2008 Tesla Roadster
Can an original Tesla Roadster, which is based on the departed Lotus Elise, actually be thought of as a collector car? Apparently so — considering that it’s difficult to service these original EVs, they’ve got more in common with vintage vehicles than you might realize. Also important to note: Not only is the mileage for this model unknown, but the listing says it’s been inoperable since 2017. Happy tinkering.
See all the listings for the George Foreman Collection at Hagerty Marketplace.
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