Congratulations! You just hit the big one in an alternate universe, whatever the Powerball lottery is called in a dimension where everything’s the same except custard enjoys anti-gravity properties. Even after taxes, you’d have an obscene amount of money to play with, and the fabulously rich are certainly known for prominent indoor displays of machinery.
Truthfully, if I hit the lottery, I’d be more interested in buying a three-bed two-bath house in a convenient neighborhood, getting a reasonably nice winter car/tow rig I won’t have to worry about for a decade, parking a few million in the S&P 500, and living well below my means off the interest than doing the whole mansion thing. I mean, have you seen what good groundskeepers and cleaners cost these days?
However, if I had to do the whole mega-flex thing and park a car in my living room, it would have to be something brilliant to look at yet tiny and comically underpowered.
Something that’s better as a static object d’art than actual transportation. For that, I’m going with a Mitsuoka BUBU 502. Sure, it’s not exactly known as the most beautiful car of all time, but it’s striking, compact, and perfectly-sized for indoor display. Plus, if I tried to take it out on the roads of Toronto, I’d quickly get mowed down by someone in a RAV4, so keeping it as a living room plaything would be an act of mercy.
So, if you were suddenly flush with hundreds of millions of dollars from hitting the Powerball, what car or motorcycle would you keep inside your house? Oh, and don’t worry about having to upgrade to a place with zinc countertops and onyx statues to gain the space. That’s all part of the new money game.
(Photo credits: Maserati, TTTNIS — own work, CC0)
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1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Coupe and a 1979 Honda CBX. I’d put the largest TV available in front of the car and pretend I’m at the drive-in. Double feature Friday: Vanishing Point and Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry.
To take a page from literature, I refer to the late author Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels. He had a great idea for lovers of all things quirky and mechanical: a large, antique airplane hangar. An stylish apartment in the back full of found objects from travels, a restored Pullman train car for guests, numerous rare and weird aircraft, cars, and motorcycles, but the centerpiece would be cast iron bathtub with an outboard motor.
What, so bad taste comes with being rich? Why the heck would I have a car in my living room?
But if no amount would matter, and I could have it in the garage and drive it, a 1964 Porsche 904 GTS, though I would probably have to loose some weight and start doing some pilates to actually get in it.
It’s only bad taste if the cars suck 🙂
Yeah, it’s super corny, but I won’t lie – it’s one of those things that has crossed my mind while daydreaming about being a billionaire. Having a bonkers house without an actual garage for storage – a dedicated wrenching area in another part of the complex, sure, but no garage, just slots in the architecture for cars to roll in/out and be on display all over the house.
Some sort of beat up old truck that my kids can climb in/on and play ‘mechanic’ on… ooh or a fire truck!
My floor would rotate so I could press a button and take any of the multiple muscle cars I have for a drive. Of course I would also have a huge heated building housing my Ferrari 275 GTB, Cobra Dragon Snake, Porsche 935 turbo, also in this building would be many retired race cars.
1979 BMW M1 with Procar livery
Porsche 356. That’s my answer today. I’m also with you, small house, large garage, machine shop, simple life.
Great choice, they are nice cars, not taking up too much space.
EXACTLY my thoughts after the design.
A 356 was my second choice!
I’ll get a 24-year old Daihatsu Hijet. Then spend millions on lawyers and various problem solvers to get it registered as street legal in the US. Then park it inside my mansion and never drive it again. Just because I can.
Jaguar XKSS. I’d make a damn good try of prying Steve McQueen’s out of the Peterson Vault.
I wouldn’t normally park a car in my living room, but for some reason when I think about it, a Lancia Fulvia is what pops into my head.
I’m going for the Tucker 48 displayed at the Coppola Winery. That way I get serious provenance as well as a bad ass car. Shoot, maybe I’ll just buy the whole winery and museum and live there.
The most immaculate Yugo ever. Partly as a joke and partly to make sure there is atleast 1 left in the world. Some things should be remembered for all their good and bad.
A 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with chandeliers mounted over the front lights. If it’s good enough for The Duke, it’s good enough for me!
I’ll go with a Porsche 917 engine disassembled and arranged artfully on the wall.
Oh nice call. I’d do something with a Colombo V12, with that crinkle finish on the valve covers…
A 50’s BMW with Earles forks or a Vincent Black Shadow would be part of my rotating motorcycle display. As for a car, I’d build a replica of a movie car that would double as seating in my private theater – maybe a Jurassic Park Jeep? Maybe get a few cars and make the theater up like a drive-in? It would be even funnier to do less-heroic movie/tv cars like Walter White’s Aztek or Dwight Shrute’s Pontiac. Go full-on Autopian with it!
I may do something like Sir Norman Foster did by re-creating a Dymaxion, except I would choose a Rumpler Tropfenwagen to be re-created;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpler_Tropfenwagen
I’ll build a detached multi-car garage with a living room area and outdoor space (don’t say man cave). I will have working space for projects, but also a rotating cast of interesting vintage cars from my collection, which will be housed elsewhere. I see that there is an auction of the George Forman collection… mine might look like that; a fun assortment, but I’m no Jay Leno. I might start off with some early Jeeps, Rovers, and similar copycats.
I was thinking along those same lines. A detached garage/living room (of course with the outdoor space) that I can pull the current favorite car into.
I was very close to this reality. About 10+ years ago myself and 4 co-workers hit all the numbers except the MegaBall. Had that matched, the lump sum, after tax, would have been more than $25M each.
Citroen DS21 Decapotable and a Citroen SM.
In an alternate universe…
I’d get the craziest lowrider money can buy, put it in my living room and find a way to sync the TV to the hydraulics. I’d also drive it to the park on Sundays towing a white horse in a chromed out carriage.
Almost everything I deeply want will inevitably drag large amounts of mud and rust into the house. I had to think up something I truly want but would delicately baby the same way I treat my Scorpion, so I’d have to go with the only Ferrari I really truly would want, a Mondial.
I reckon I’d make it a Lancia Fulvia, a beautiful car with a beautiful interior and engine that wouldn’t take up too much space and should be easy to get out for a drive. If I can’t take it for a drive, it’ll have to be a Delahaye or some other gorgeous pre-war car that I can fully appreciate just by sitting in it while watching TV.
A Spyker C8, with all of the furniture in the room designed to accent its interior.
That…is a great idea.
As others have said, I prefer my vehicles in a nice climate-controlled garage. But to play along, how about a Duesenberg SJ Roadster.
An excellent choice.
This Monica.
Excellent and stylish choice 😎
Last time this one went on sale was 2018. Fingers crossed I have fallen ass-backwards on a pile of money before the next time it trades hands.
Such a beautiful automobile. I’m very partial to french cars in general, but the Monica is just astounding. Probably tied up there with the SM as my favourite non-Renault french car (it’s not fair of me to include any Renault in such rankings, unless I want to find myself explaining why crapcans ilke the Renault 4 or 12 rank above such masterpieces in my list).
Singer 911 parked right next to my V-tech swapped Austin Mini.
I, too, want a V-tech swapped mini. My dream years ago was to get rich, buy one of these, and race it in the Gumball 3000. lol.
For the living room, easily a 300SL Gullwing.