The Marilyn Monroe Car Collection: What Did the Actress Drive?
Jane Lu
· 4 min read
Marilyn Monroe is an iconic actress of the 1950s, who is credited for creating the “blond bombshell” image of classic Hollywood. But many people may not know that the Marilyn Monroe car collection included some of the famous vehicles ever produced.
Marilyn Monroe reportedly owned many cars, although it can be tough to confirm if she actually did own them. Let’s take a look at just some of these vehicles, which are
classic cars
today. 
1956 Ford Thunderbird: The perfect Marilyn Monroe car
After she appeared in The Seven Year Itch in 1955, Monroe bought a Raven Black 1956 Ford Thunderbird, according to
Hot Cars
. This first-generation T-Bird roadster not only looked good on the outside, it also went pretty fast. In fact, with its 5.1-liter engine, the car could go from 0-60 mph in 10.2 seconds, which is pretty impressive for a car from the 1950s.Monroe reportedly bought the car as a present to herself after filming the movie. There are photos that show Monroe driving the car with her then husband Arthur Miller. In fact, the two reportedly drove the car to their wedding ceremony in 1956.
That Ford Thunderbird debuted in 1955 and was produced through 1957. It’s now one of the most iconic cars of the 1950s, so it makes sense that one of the most iconic stars of the time drove it.
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What happened to the Marilyn Monroe car?
MORE: See the Largest Collection of James Bond's Cars—Just in Time for the New Movie
Monroe owned the car until 1962, when she gifted it to her acting coach Jason Strasberg. In 2018, the car went on sale at an auction and sold for $490,000. In comparison, a regular 1956 Ford Thunderbird typically has an auction guide price of around $75,000.
Car and Driver
reported that, at the time, the car almost reached the Julien auction firm’s top estimate at $500,000. It wasn’t far from the most expensive Thunderbird ever sold at an auction, which was the first Thunderbird off the production line in 1954, sold for $660,000 in 2009. Marilyn Monroe’s Ford Thunderbird was reportedly in excellent condition when it was sold at auction. It has a black interior and a black-and-white two-seat interior, wide whitewall tires, and a black soft-top—plus a black hardtop with a porthole window that was new for 1956.
Other vehicles in the Marilyn Monroe car collection
In addition to the Ford Thunderbird, Marilyn Monroe owned a few other iconic classic cars.
One of those cars was a 1954 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, which Monroe reportedly received for endorsing Chanel No. 5 perfume on the Jack Benny Program instead of a cash payment. Interestingly, this was also the first time a celebrity endorsed a perfume, according to Hot Cars.
Monroe’s 1954 Cadillac produced 230 horsepower with its 5.4-liter V8 engine—but it only had a top speed of 104 mph, unlike modern luxury cars.
Another car Monroe owned was a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado convertible. According to Hot Cars, it’s believed that Joe DiMaggio gifted Monroe the car during their courtship (the pair married in 1954 and divorced only a year later).
Classic car insurance
Whoever bought Marilyn Monroe’s 1956 Ford Thunderbird in 2018 might want to consider getting
classic car insurance
if they don’t already have it. Classic or collector car insurance is different from regular car insurance—because it allows the owner to insure its actual value based on an appraisal.Whether you’re looking for the most affordable classic car insurance or typical coverage,
Jerry
can help. The app compares quotes from up to 50 different insurance companies for you in under a minute, without any long forms to fill out.
