We often picture writers as brooding eccentrics, holed up in a dim, smoky room, thinking their heads off. While this was true of many great authors, writers still needed to get around like the rest of us.
Literary heavyweights like Dante and Shakespeare died long before cars came around, but famous writers from the modern age have owned some pretty nice rides. Want the details? Keep reading to learn about the vehicles driven by some of literature’s most notable characters, past and present.
Dr. Suess’ Grinchmobile
Theodore Geisel, Dr. Suess, wrote over 60 children’s books and gave us iconic characters like the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch. Some Suess illustrations are controversial, but Geisel’s success allowed him to live comfortably for the better part of the 20th century—and he had the Cadillac to prove it.
Geisel wanted to personalize his Caddy with “GRINCH” vanity plates but was told that a superfan already took the tag with GRINCH plates on his RV. Years later, the Suess enthusiast relinquished his claim on the tag so that Geisel could have a turn. The California GRINCH vanity plate remains on Geisel’s 1985 Cadillac Seville.
Haruki Murakami is about that van life
Type “Haruki Murakami” and “car” into Google, and you’ll get a long list of references to “Drive My Car,” his 2014 short story turned Oscar-winning film about a veteran stage actor’s bond with the woman he hires to chauffeur his Saab 900 Turbo. Murakami, however, prefers a quirky vehicle of a different breed.
In a 2018 interview with Engine, Murakami praised the Renault Kangoo van because it’s “fun to drive” and “has great handling” despite being pretty bad on gas. The Japanese visionary’s adoration for a vehicle with poor fuel economy isn’t a popular opinion. Still, Renault’s Kangoo has been around since 1997 and is the best-selling small van in Europe (there’s also an EV version).
Maya Angelou: a phenomenal woman deserves a phenomenal car
Dr. Maya Angelou was a poet, memoirist, activist, performer, and national treasure. The author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings broke countless barriers in her lifetime—she was even the first Black female cable car conductor in San Francisco in the 40s. When fame and wealth came her way, Angelou bought a car fit for the queen that she was: a 1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II.
Even back then, the Silver Wraith II cost over $100,000. The luxurious, cream-colored British auto could often be seen parked at Angelou’s Winston-Salem, North Carolina home and stayed in her possession until she died in 2014 at 86.
Papa Hemingway kept it comfortable
Legendary American author Ernest Hemingway was one of the most prolific writers of his “Lost Generation,” but he probably wasn’t anyone’s first choice for a designated driver. After 1929’s A Farwell to Arms brought him commercial acclaim, Hemingway treated himself to a Rolls-Royce Phantom II, complete with an in-cabin minibar.
Later, Papa was more recognizable behind the wheel of his 1955 Chrysler New Yorker convertible with Navajo Orange and Desert Sand body paint. The Chrysler was a longtime fixture at his Cuban residence but fell into obscurity following Hemingway’s 1961 suicide. Eventually, the New Yorker was tracked down and targeted for restoration.
Stephen King tweets about his Tesla
We’re not sure whether horror-god Stephen King’s gravitation toward a car capable of self-automation is disturbing, fitting, or both, but the author has a thing for Tesla. While the exact model he owns is unknown, King boasted about track racing his Tesla on Twitter. The fact that Elon Musk rules over both Tesla and Twitter isn’t lost on the great novelist.
King has served such snarky tweets as “I have a Tesla and I love it. That said, he’s a terrible fit for Twitter.”. According to Forbes, Musk appears to be a bit starstruck by King’s attention and has been designated as King’s “reply guy.” Musk’s response tweets to King include, “I’m still a fan of you, ” and “Oh hi, lol.”
If Camus had his own car, would he have lived?
It’s hard to say. In January of 1960, Algerian-born Nobel Prize laureate Albert Camus and his friend, the publisher Michel Gallimard were killed when Gallimard’s Facel Vega FV3B—a sophisticated and exclusive French automobile—slammed into a tree in the northern French countryside.
If the reports that Camus feared automobiles are true, then it makes sense why he wouldn’t own one. Perhaps the fact that Gallimard had such a cool car convinced Camus to travel home to Paris as his passenger. The V8-equipped FV3B, though powerful, didn’t handle as well as other sporty models of the day. It probably didn’t help that Gallimard’s Facel Vega may or may not have been tampered with by the KGB.
This article originally appeared on MyCarMakesNoise.
More from MyCarMakesNoise
The Harley-Davidsons That Missed the Mark: A Look at the Company’s Biggest Missteps
From engineering flaws to misguided design choices, this exploration provides a candid look at the bikes that, for various reasons, didn’t resonate with the Harley faithful. Read More.
When Form Doesn’t Follow Function: The Ugliest Sports Cars of All Time
In this article, we dive into the fascinating world of sports cars that, despite their top-notch performance, have been subject to ridicule and criticism for their unusual and often unsightly design choices. Read More.
The Black Sheep: The 12 Least Liked Car Brands That Are Failing to Stand Out
Based on customer reviews, industry surveys, and expert opinions, we delve into the reasons behind the negative sentiment surrounding these brands. Read More.
