If you had a virtually unlimited budget, what classic cars would you buy? Many of us have asked this question, but only a select few have the means to pursue that dream. Tim Allen — also known as Tim "The Toolman" Taylor from Home Improvement and the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story — is a diehard car guy with an incredible collection that includes a variety of obscure and tasteful vehicles. A video crew from the Petersen Automotive Museum recently met Tim Allen at his garage to take a look at his entire collection.
1962 Bel Air lead photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Tim Allen's Garage: Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, and More
While some wealthy car guys seem to buy vehicles based on how eye-catching they are, Allen's collection reflects his personality. Rather than driving loud cars in bright colors, he prefers more of an understated style. He explains, "I'm a more of an introvert, and [in these cars] you just get noticed. So I prefer silver, black, or white cars."
The Petersen Automotive Museum video series documents Allen's entire collection, including dozens of vehicles from throughout Europe and the USA. He starts with his "daily driver" — rather than a plain sedan or SUV, it's a brand new 815-horsepower Mustang GTD, the street version of Ford's GT3 race car.
Next, he shows off a few Euro favorites, including a Ford RS200 rally car, Volvo 122 S restomod, Volvo P1800 coupe, Porsche 356 and 911 S, 1965 Jaguar XKE, and a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC.
While Allen clearly appreciates European classics, more of his collection consists of American vehicles, from hot rods and modern muscle cars to vintage pony cars and cruisers. This phase of the tour starts with some of the cars from Home Improvement, including a maroon 1940s Ford convertible and a bright blue '33 Ford hot rod.
Allen calls the next lineup his "American Iron department," starting with a pair of modern Dodge Challengers: an 840-horsepower SRT Demon and an even more extreme 1,025-horsepower SRT Demon 170.
Next to the Demons is a gorgeous 1970 Pontiac GTO 400 Ram Air IV. He explains that he used to drag race a car similar to this one on Woodward Avenue back in the day. "This thing hauls. Still pretty fast, and I think it's one of the best looking cars," he explains.
Adjacent to the GTO is a black Ford Falcon 429 Cobra Jet. He recalls with a smile that he thought he bought a Torino, but realized after noticing the door pillars that it was actually its blue-collar muscle car sibling.
No classic American car collection of this scale would be complete without a Mustang, and Allen chose an interesting one. His 1966 Shelby GT350H "rent a racer" is immediately recognizable from its iconic gold stripes. Best of all, it's one of only a handful of examples that came with a four-speed manual transmission.
To the left of the Mustang, Allen has a fully restored '64 Ford Galaxie 500 XL. "It's a beautiful car," he remarks. "Inside, the dash and the [red vinyl] interior sells it."
Next up is a bright red '62 Chevy Bel Air Bubble Top with a 409ci V8 under the hood. "It sounds spectacular, it still drives pretty good, it's lighter than it looks," he explains. "Great motor, great transmission. A winner."
Another one of the few brightly-colored vehicles in Allen's collection is this '56 Ford F-100. He says it has traveled all over the country with him, from Michigan to Colorado to California. It has been resto-modded with a Mustang II front end and a more powerful motor.
Next to the F-100 is a beautiful 1939 Studebaker cab-over semi truck. Allen says it's one of the first sleeper cabs ever made and was restored by a WWII veteran.
The next line of cars includes a heavily-modified 1996 Impala SS, which was fitted with an aluminum LT5 V8 from a Corvette ZR1 as a result of a special collaboration with Chevrolet. There are also custom 1940 and 1955 Fords, a 1960 Cadillac, a resto-modded Corvair Corsa, and a 1968 Camaro COPO tribute with a 427ci LS engine from a Corvette Z06 under the hood.
Rounding out the collection are a lifted, 5-speed-equipped Ford Bronco and a resto-modded '71 Nova. Allen says he bought the matte black Nova from a scary-looking tattooed guy who turned out to be a fan of Home Improvement.
Check out the two-episode series below for nearly 45 minutes of Tim Allen explaining his collection and what he loves (or even hates) about each vehicle.
Part 1:
Part 2:
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