Led Zeppelin and cars

Is Led Zeppelin the greatest rock band ever? Some may argue about this. But there is no doubt that in the 70s Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John "Bonzo" Bonham were the most spectacular and attractive phenomenon on the world stage.

It all ended abruptly exactly 40 years ago, on September 25, 1980, when Bonham died in his sleep following alcohol abuse. Out of respect for their comrade, the other three did not try to replace him, but broke up and since then played together only a few times for charitable purposes, while either a giant of the caliber of Phil Collins or the son of Bonzo was sitting at the drums. Jason Bonham.

But it's not about the music and the unique magic of Zeppelin, but about what was rarely mentioned - their amazing taste for cars. Three of the four musicians had fantastic collections on four wheels, not to mention their infamous manager Peter Grant.

Jimmy Page - cord 810 Phaeton, 1936
Designed by Gordon Bürig for the long-defunct Cord Company, the 810 was the first American car with front-wheel drive and independent suspension. The Automotive Design Hall of Fame also has a Reserved Page. Both the retractable exterior and interior were well ahead of their time. One of the few surviving works is on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art. The other still belongs to Jimmy.

Jimmy Page - Ferrari GTB 275, 1966
Journalists once called the GTB 275 the best car to drive in the world. Here, Page is in pretty good company - the same car was owned by Steve McQueen, Sophia Loren, Miles Davis and Roman Polanski.

Jimmy Page - Ferrari 400 GT, 1978
The 400 GT, which debuted at the 1976 Paris Motor Show, is Maranello's first car with an automatic transmission and an attempt by Italians to compete in the luxury segment with Mercedes and Bentley models. And Paige's car is especially rare because it is one of 27 right-hand drive vehicles built.

Robert Plant – GMC 3100, 1948
At some point in his life, Plant retired to his farm to "return to nature", as he explained. Logically, he should have taken something practical for rural life. The usual choice would be a Land Rover (the singer has one), but in this case, Robert made a more rock and roll choice, relying on a classic 1948 American pickup truck. "She's a great old girl," Plant said of his GMC. “But you have to be careful, because from time to time gasoline flows through the pipes and can catch fire.”

Robert Plant - Chrysler Imperial Crown, 1959
Today, Chrysler is the latest hole in the FCA empire, but it was once a well-known brand. Among his most famous models was the Imperial Crown, whose convertible version was produced in only 555 examples. The plant was bright pink, perhaps in honor of Elvis Presley's particular taste for car paint. By the way, Plant met the king of rock and roll in 1974 and managed to break the ice by singing the old Elvis hit Love Me with him. According to the band's biographer, Elvis and Bonzo would later talk for hours about their car collections.

Robert Plant - Aston Martin DB5, 1965
It is not only the first James Bond car, but the favorite car of many rock legends including Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Mick Jagger. Plant honored her in the mid-1970s when she bought a 4-liter Dubonnet Rosso. In 1986 he sold it with less than 100 km. And he probably regrets it, because today its price is measured in millions.

Robert Plant - Jaguar XJ, 1968
This car has taken its place not only in the history of Zeppelin, but also in the history of copyright. When the now-forgotten band Spirit sued Page and Plant for stealing the main riff of the upcoming smash hit Stairway to Heaven, Robert apologized for not remembering that night because he had just crashed his Jaguar. “Part of the windshield was stuck in my skull,” Plant told the court, and his wife suffered a skull fracture.

Robert Plant - Buick Riviera Boat-Tail, 1972
If you haven't figured it out yet, Robert Plant has a soft spot for American cars. In this case, we get it, because the Riviera, with its famous yachting ass and 7,5-litre V8 engine, is a truly remarkable car. The plant sold it in the 1980s.

Robert Plant - Mercedes AMG W126, 1985
A true sheepskin wolf, this Mercedes AMG had a 5-liter engine with a maximum output of 245 horsepower. Plant bought it after Zeppelin disbanded and fans joked that the car was of the same good quality but underrated as his solo albums.

John Bonham - Chevrolet Corvette 427, 1967
One of the drummer's biggest weaknesses is corvettes, and this 427 is an absolute classic - with a 8 horsepower V350 engine and a sound almost close to what Bonzo was capable of on drums.
His biographers tell how in the 70s John saw a Corvette Stingray on the street, ordered to find the owner and invite him to “drink”. A few whiskeys later, Bonzo persuaded the man to sell it to him for $18—three times the price of a new one—and loaded it onto a train to Los Angeles. He played with her for about a week, and then, when she began to bother him, he sold her for a third of the price.

John Paul Jones - Jensen Interceptor, 1972
Jones, bassist and pianist, has always considered himself a "quiet" member of Zeppelin and has tried to avoid undue attention to his personal life. However, it is known that in the 70s he owned the Interceptor, fashionable at that time.

Peter Grant - Pierce-Arrow, Model B Doctors Coupe, 1929
A giant of craftsmanship and notorious brawler, the manager is often called "the fifth member of Led Zeppelin." Before taking up music, he was a wrestler, wrestler and actor. After Zeppelin turned into a money machine, Grant began to indulge in his passion for cars. He saw this Pierce-Arrow Model B while touring the United States, bought it locally and flew it home to England.

Peter Grant - Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, 1973
The manager bought a new car shortly after it arrived. Dino is named after the tragically early deceased son of Enzo Ferrari and is known for his fantastic driving. But Grant, who is 188 cm tall and weighs 140 kg, cannot fit and sells him after three years.