BMW Z8 owned by Apple's Steve Jobs heads to auction, valued up to $400K
A BMW Z8 luxury convertible once owned by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is being auctioned at Sotheby's in New York next month, where it's expected to fetch between $300,000 and $400,000 or possibly more.
Jobs had a "penchant for German automobiles and design," the auction listing claims, noting that he also owned BMW motorcycles and Mercedes-Benz SLs. "According to legend," it continues, Jobs was persuaded to buy the Z8 in 2000 by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who suggested it was not just a high-quality car but matched Apple products and Jobs's psyche.
Jobs is said to have kept the car for just three years, selling it to a person in Los Angeles who in turn sold it a year later to a "Bay Area tech executive." The Los Angeles owner had remorse over that decision, and contacted the tech executive some 18 months later to buy the car back.
Although the car has actually been driven regularly for 17 years, it has just 15,200 miles on it, and has undergone service and maintenance to keep it in good condition.
One notable inclusion is a BMW-branded Motorola cellphone, which Jobs allegedly hated. The CEO eventually parterned with Motorola on a few iTunes phones before launching the iPhone in 2007.
The Z8 originally cost $128,000 before add-ons. Used models are potentially worth more, but the auction price is well above average.
Jobs's vehicle will go on sale Dec. 6 as part of a "New York -- Icons" event.
Jobs had a "penchant for German automobiles and design," the auction listing claims, noting that he also owned BMW motorcycles and Mercedes-Benz SLs. "According to legend," it continues, Jobs was persuaded to buy the Z8 in 2000 by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who suggested it was not just a high-quality car but matched Apple products and Jobs's psyche.
Jobs is said to have kept the car for just three years, selling it to a person in Los Angeles who in turn sold it a year later to a "Bay Area tech executive." The Los Angeles owner had remorse over that decision, and contacted the tech executive some 18 months later to buy the car back.
Although the car has actually been driven regularly for 17 years, it has just 15,200 miles on it, and has undergone service and maintenance to keep it in good condition.
One notable inclusion is a BMW-branded Motorola cellphone, which Jobs allegedly hated. The CEO eventually parterned with Motorola on a few iTunes phones before launching the iPhone in 2007.
The Z8 originally cost $128,000 before add-ons. Used models are potentially worth more, but the auction price is well above average.
Jobs's vehicle will go on sale Dec. 6 as part of a "New York -- Icons" event.
Comments
I understand I'm in the minority here since even owning an original Mac wouldn't do anything for me except as an investment opportunity and I'd turn around and sell it right away so I could invest the profit into something with a better growth rate—I guess you need both sentimentality and a proclivity for idol worship in order to be a collector. Any serial killers here want to explain to me the importance of collecting trophies?¡
I always thought that the exterior design of the boat he had built was very unattractive, but to each their own when it comes to aesthetics.
I was just fascinated that a magazine with a cover price of $2 signed by Jobs would fetch $50k (25000 times the value) , but a car owned by him costing $128K would only bring in 300-400K (2-3 times the value).
The final price may be more, but the numbers just fascinated me.
So Jobs only owned the vehicle for the first three years, then someone in Los Angeles owned it for a year, and now it has been owned by someone in San Francisco for the past 13 years. Sorry, but Steve Jobs is so far removed from this vehicle, it shouldn't have much value at all. That's like saying, "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate. What's that make us? Absolutely nothing!" Now if Steve Jobs had been the original owner for the entire life of the vehicle, maybe you have something there. But a 17-year old BMW is a turd.
However much this celebrity car fetches at auction, it's going to be dwarfed by the $17.7 million just paid at auction for Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona watch.
As far as the vehicle itself - beauty is most certainly in the eye of the beholder. "Beautiful" is not an adjective I'd use to describe a Z8. Sure, it's a blast to drive, but so is a Miata that costs one-fifth the price. I do like some BMW designs and I wouldn't object to owning one, but I'd be sure to get rid of it before the factory warranty was up.
here's the result ...
It is called a Garagde Queen, yes it is driven but spend most of its days sitting in a garage. People who have cars like this take it out once a month or so and go out on the town. The importance of regularly driven, means the car is in working condition and has not just say so things like rub and such do not get flat spotted due to no use. It also sounds like the car was constantly serviced by BMW.
I’m also not festive and find traditions in the modern age to be a complete waste of my time. Even as a child I opted out of having birthdays and asked not to recieve gifts. I’d rather regulate gift giving to three primary categories: 1) Something they wouldn’t get for themselves but they believe would benefit you, 2) something they couldn’t get for themselves but need, and 3) when there’s an actual accomplishment so long as it falls into the first two categories. Obligatory gift giving is insincere, especially when the earth revolves around the sun again and it’s the day you happened to pop out of a uterus.
As far as ownership I would say it is a bit of exaggeration and even Job's at his modesty would have problem accepting this type of love. It is about creative achievement - not who owns what. Different philosophy.