“George Clooney owns some of the finest automobiles from around the world.” So sayeth therichest.com. They list eight cars owned by the famous actor: a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette C1, Lexus LS, Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet, Tesla Roadster Signature 100, Tango T600 EV, Ford F-150 Raptor and Mercedes G63 AMG. Meanwhile, comedian Jay Leno owns over 180 exotic cars, hypercars and museum-grade artifacts. Neither man owns a single Ferrari. Why’s that?
One word explains Mr. Clooney’s reticence: Hollywood. Tinsel Town is a liberal enclave; celebrities who fail to tow the political line fall to the wayside. Despite the fact that electric vehicles are less environmentally-friendly than petrol powered cars, Mr. Clooney’s politically-minded social set must power their peregrinations with batteries.
Sure, Mr. Clooney’s 14 mpg G-Wagon shows he’s not averse to adding a hydrocarbon or two to the atmosphere. You might even say his aerodynamically-challenged German SUV outs him as a hypocrite, and wonder about the lack of images of him driving said SUV. But I couldn’t possibly comment.
Except to say this: when it comes to EV’s – our planet’s new lord and savior – George Clooney has put his money where his mouth is.
Back in the day, Mr. Clooney bought the exceedingly SMART Tango T600 – one of 12 made. It put the Ocean’s 11 star at the forefront of power-plant-powered transportation. And catapulted him to the pinnacle of PC political posturing.
When it comes to Ferraris, to quote will Smith, SLAP! I mean, oh hell no! Aside from a HUMMER, a Ferrari is the last vehicle on earth a climate change crusader would reveal to the paparazzi. Why aren’t equally thirsty and impractical Porsches and Corvettes banned from Mr. Clooney’s garage? Why not indeed.
In his “I’ve got to drive an PC EV” obligation, Mr. Clooney is hardly alone. Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, Miley Cyrus, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Devito, Leonardo DiCaprio – an entire galaxy of celebs swan around town in a Toyota Prius. At least they did. You can almost hear them thanking God for the infinitely more luxurious Tesla Model S.
As far as I know, none of these plug-‘n-play stars own a Ferrari. Can that change if Ferrari electrifies its fleet? Yes it can! And let’s be clear: there are plenty of Ferrari-driving Hollywood celebrities. Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nicolas Cage, to name a few. Professional athletes? Lots! But none so pure of heart as Mr. Clooney and his non-Ferrari-driving colleagues.
As for Jay Leno, the car-collecting comedian’s explanation for the lack of Ferrari’s in his eponymous garage has been in the public domain for some time. “I just never liked dealing with the dealers,” Mr. Leno avers, after praising the cars. “You’re spending an extraordinary amount of money, you should be made to feel like a customer.”
Ass kissing customer service? Now there’s something a battery-powered Ferrari can’t fix. Meanwhile, Leno’s comparison between Ferrari dealers and dominatrix leaves a mark. Ah, but will rich people leave the marque? Many already have. But not enough that Ferrari has started treating its customers less like supplicants and more like benefactors.
No surprise there. A Ferrari is, after all, a drug. Any addict will tell you: the dealer has all the power. Unless you don’t use. That’s Jay’s story. Clooney’s too. As for the general public, they have to ask to buy a Ferrari, even if they can afford it. How great is that?
