A man’s dream garage changes throughout his life along with his taste in everything else. What you would fill a generous four or five stalls with when you were 15 (maybe a couple Ferraris and Rolls-Royces, because they’re the most expensive cars you can think of) would most likely not be the same as what you’d pick at 65. So what would older, wiser you want if given a movie-star budget but a better understanding of the headache that comes with Ferrari and Rolls-Royce repairs? Just ask Tom Hanks.
While A-list celebrities can’t be trusted to spend their automotive budgets wisely (looking at you, Biebs), it turns out that Tom Hanks has managed to survive his decades of fame with his vehicular taste intact. In fact, America’s dad, who turned 65 this month, is auctioning off four of his personal vehicles (well, a car, a truck, an SUV and a trailer) in August, and together they form a collection that seems to me the dream garage of every 60-something American dad. (Isn’t it nice when actors live up to their reputations?)
The four Hanks-approved lots are part of the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction, taking place August 13 during California’s Monterey Car Week. Thankfully, the cars don’t crack even the top 50 most expensive lots at this particular sale (there are the usual big ticket suspects like a ‘67 Ford GT40, a ‘55 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe and a couple ‘66 Shelby Cobras), but they’ll likely see heated bidding for the name, and the stories, behind them.
Want a peek at the lots? Here are the four heading to auction. And before you ask, yes, Tom has added his signature, literally, to all of them somewhere inside.
1992 Airstream Model 34 Limited Excella Travel Trailer
Estimate: $150,000 – $250,000
Who would know how to outfit a trailer better than Tom Hanks, who was in something like 15 movies before 1992 and presumably had to spend an absurd amount of time in all sorts of stock trailers? He had this “silver bullet” Airstream built out to his personal specifications, including custom furniture — like a couch with removable legs that could fit through the door — that will be included in the lot. According to Hanks, he’s getting rid of it because “movies move faster now” and he doesn’t have as much time to lounge around entertaining other actors on set. But in its heyday, the Airstream went from the sets of Forrest Gump to Angels & Demons. “I shan’t forget night shoots on Gump and The Green Mile with the windows open and the cool air coming in,” Hanks remembered. “Or the time Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton and I watched a Buster Keaton documentary on the TV — before running through the Forest Lawn cemetery in our Apollo 13 costumes to pay homage at his grave.”
2011 Ford F-450 Super Duty Crew Cab Lariat Pickup
Estimate: $70,000 – $100,000
If you’ve owned a 34-foot Airstream before, you might already know why Hanks bought this Ford F-450: to tow it. Even though it’s a decade old, this fully loaded truck has fewer than 5,000 miles on the odometer. And even if you don’t get the Airstream too, who hasn’t, at some time or other, wanted a dually?
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1980 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser
Estimate: $75,000 – $125,000
A prized old-school SUV in its own right, the fact that this revived hardtop FJ40 was commissioned by Hanks makes it that much more desirable. While the listing doesn’t detail who did the job, a sticker on the window points to TLC 4×4 out of Van Nuys, a custom shop from automotive trendsetter Jonathan Ward, who is better known today for ICON 4×4. Over the years, ICON has been written up as designing cars for millionaires “like Tom Hanks” — now we know what that looks like: upgraded 4.3-liter V6 engine, five-speed manual transmission, Old Man Emu shocks, power-operated Porsche seats and more.
2015 Tesla Model S P85D
Estimate: $70,000 – $100,000
Over the lifetime of a car, an electric vehicle is unequivocally better for the planet than a gas car. While Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson put an admirable 13,445 miles on this high-performance Tesla, it’s got plenty of life left in it. What makes this specific Tesla special is that Hanks ordered it in British Racing Green, supposedly his favorite color and one that Tesla, obviously, does not offer from the factory. But what makes the story behind this car special is that, according to the listing, the actor has been an advocate for EVs for years, supposedly going on Letterman back in 2004 to hype them up before anyone cared about electrification. We found that interview, and it could not be more dated (at one point, Hanks makes a joke about how EVs could never be a big money maker; tell that to Elon).
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