If you’re a fan of the vampire genre, then you might remember the names Kurt Russell and Kevin J. O’Neil. Russell was the star of the classic 1955 movie The Scarlet Pimpernel, while O’Neil was the character actor who played Dr. Marcus. In the 2014 movie The Groom, Russell and O’Neil reprise their roles as the Scarlet Pimpernel and Dr. Marcus, but this time they’re both married to Grace Kelly.
O’Neil, in fact, was married to Grace Kelly for three years before he died in 1960. So it’s only fitting that the character actor’s final resting place should be the Pantheon, as the Vatican declared him a Saints’ canon shortly after his death. A Catholic church in Hollywood, Florida, is named after O’Neil and serves as a final resting place for the actor, who would have turned 100 in December.
While we’re on the subject of famous people, let’s not forget about Robert Pattinson, the man behind the Twilight film franchise. The British actor is mostly known for his Hollywood romances, but he’s also a big car enthusiast. In 2013, Pattinson sold his Bentley Mulsanne to François Pinault, the chairman and CEO of PPR, for a whopping $1.2 million. Pinault was also the buyer of Madonna’s BW Wagon, which she later canceled after she and Pattinson married.
Since then, Pattinson has been in a bit of a cold streak, selling several of his favorite cars including a 1971 Cadillac DeVille and a 1967 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I. As of April 2019, Pattinson still owns the Bentley and the Rolls-Royce, but he has been trying to sell the Cadillac for a while.
It’s not just cars either. In October 2018, Pattinson sold his favorite mountain bike for a cool $500,000 to an eBay user. For someone who often drives million-dollar Porsches and Bentleys, it’s interesting to see that he’s never sold anything that costs less than $50,000 on eBay. Even his Red Rockstar 911 S, which he sold for a record-breaking $350,000 in 2017, was appraised at only $230,000, as Pattinson still owns this classic Porsche as well.
All Things McLaren
While we’re on the subject of cars, let’s not forget about McLaren, the world’s most prestigious SUV manufacturer. Founder and CEO McLaren F1 Group Ltd. is based in England, where the weather is perfect for playing with your car. The company also has a head office in Hong Kong, where it’s a little cooler than in England. The cars are expensive and gorgeous, and, in case you didn’t know, McLaren also makes the P1, a street-legal supercar that can hit 60 mph in just three seconds. So, while you’re driving around in your Porsche, don’t forget about the McLarens.
Aston Martin, Bentley, and More
Speaking of expensive sports cars, let’s not forget about Aston Martin, maker of some of the most luxurious automobiles in the world. The British company was founded in 1881, so it’s been around for a while. It also has a head office in Windsor, the town where Queen Victoria was born. Aston Martin is almost always associated with royalty and the upper classes, which can be reflected in its car collection, which features a dozen or more exotic models. For example, the DB11 is powered by a turbocharged V12 engine that propels the car to 60 mph in less than five seconds. The V12 is most likely derived from the DB5, which was introduced in 1953 and is still in production. The latest addition to the Aston Martin collection is the DBX, a fully customizable estate car that can accommodate up to seven people. It has a shape that reminds us of an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, with two doors, two sets of wheel arches, and the headlights integrated into the front bumper. The car was sold for a record-breaking $1.2 million at an eBay auction in 2018, which would make it one of the most expensive cars to sell at auction.
Rolls-Royce
Speaking of royals, let’s not forget about Rolls-Royce, maker of some of the most luxurious civil vehicles in the world. Rolls-Royce was founded in 1881, the “Royce” part of the company’s name originates from Edwardian England, and it also has a head office in Buckinghamshire, where King George V is buried. Rolls-Royce can be traced back to Edward III, who ordered the first Rolls-Royce in the 13th century. That first Rolls-Royce, the Silver Sedan, was finished in April 1881 and was inspired by a medieval battle truck. Since then, the car company has kept the same basic template, evolving the design over the years but keeping the boxy shape. In the 1920s, Edward II, who had no children, bequeathed his estate to his favorite niece, Margaret Who Served Our King. She used the funds to purchase Rolls-Royce and restore the company to its former glory. The Black Sedan (named after the Nile Riverside in South Africa, where it was built) was the first mass-production model and was followed in quick succession by the Silver Sedan, the Red Dawn, and the Ghanaian Feather. The most recent Rolls-Royce addition to the collection is the Cocktail (above), a 2+2 convertible that was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September 2018. It takes its name from a cocktail party that Princess Alice of Saxe-Coburg and King Oliver of Serbia gave in 1916 at the Savoy Hotel in London. A gold leaf sheen adds to the luxury of this one-of-a-kind specimen. We wouldn’t be surprised if this cocktail-themed car fetched a million dollars or more at auction.
Maserati And More
Speaking of money, let’s not forget about Maserati, a family-run firm that is part of the Faema group. The Maserati collection features a dozen or more exotic models, including the Quartetto Berlina, a Maserati quattroporte that was based on the DMC GTS version of the Quattroporte , and the Maserati Maestro 12C, a customizable salon car that was first seen at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The most recent addition to the collection is the Maserati Giro (above). The German car manufacturer, BMW, bought Maserati in 2016. The combined company, BMW Maserati, still uses Maserati’s headquarters in Bologna as its North American headquarters. Since then, the company has been working on bringing its ultra-luxurious carmakers to life. The first result of this collaboration is the Maserati Kardex (above), an all-encompassing, touch-screen tablet that controls all of the car’s features, from the alarm to heating. The device includes a wi-fi hotspot to keep drivers connected while they’re on the move.