Singer Michael Jackson Owned This Car Longer Than Any in His Fleet
When it comes to cars and singer Michael Jackson, though he had a fleet, he rarely drove. But the one car he kept for over a decade and did drive was his Mercedes-Benz 500SEL sedan. According to the divorce papers between his ex-wife Debbie Rowe and Jackson, he liked cars and spent lavishly on the ones he owned, which tended to be big sedans, limousines, and SUVs.
Did Michael Jackson drive his Mercedes-Benz?
His 1985 Mercedes-Benz W126 LWB was the car he primarily drove between his Encino, California, house and the Los Angeles studio he recorded at. That’s about a 40-mile round trip. When he moved to his Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California, he brought his Benz with him. Though by now Jackson stopped driving the Benz, it still saw use around his 2,600-acre ranch.
The Mercedes was your typical SEL. It was powered by a five-liter V8 rated at 302 hp, hooked to a four-speed automatic transmission. There were 500SE sedans sold as well. These were a shorter wheelbase but otherwise the same. It was a more common 500 sedan in the U.S. than the 500SEL at this time.
Some of the sedan’s features included powered seats, automatic temperature control, burr walnut trim, and a custom audio system. The 500SEL was a long sucker, with a wheelbase of almost 121 inches, and an overall length of 203.15 inches. That’s almost the same as a single-cab Ford F-150 with a six-foot bed.
What happened to the Michael Jackson Mercedes-Benz?
Once he was through with the sedan he gave it to a favorite aunt for her birthday. She bought a vanity plate to thank her famous nephew that read, “TKS MKL”. Soon after his death, she sold the famous sedan at an auction. Later in 2009, the Mercedes was sold for $104,550. It went to the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It has remained the property of the museum since then.
Over the years Jackson had over 75 vehicles, which mostly centered around luxury limousines. Some of these included a 1990 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II limousine, a 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood sedan used in the movie “Driving Miss Daisy”, a 1988 Lincoln Town Car Limousine, a 1990 Econoline van, a 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, and a 1986 GMC 3500 fire truck, just to name a few. The celebrity even owned a 2001 Harley-Davidson Touring Bike that he never rode. Ever.
Jackson tragically died in June 2009, from cardiac arrest triggered by the anesthetic propofol, according to the LA Times. Jackson’s doctor regularly prescribed and administered the anesthetic.
