Rita Hayworth
Cadillac Ghia $7,750 The only thing possibly more gorgeous than the glamorous Rita Hayworth might be this 1953 Cadillac Ghia. She acquired it after her estranged husband discovered the coupe at the 1953 Paris Auto Salon. To woo her back, he decided to purchase the re bodied, Italian-designed V-8 masterpiece packaged in stunning bodywork. Obviously, chocolates and a teddy bear would not do the trick. Neither did this generous gift. It cost him $7,750. In 1950, one could pick up the most luxurious car on the market for $7K. That amount of money might even procure a modest house.
The Golden Age Hollywood actress declined the proposal to patch things up, but she would not part with the car. She also maintained custody of their daughter after the divorce. The car is a historic relic. It’s a classic car show finisher. At Pebble Beach, it won Best in Class. And it’s still got a touch of Hollywood glamour. The coupe made an appearance with Marvel superhero Tony Stark in Iron Man 2. It was white when Hayworth received it, but now it’s a deep burgundy and is decorously housed at the Petersen Museum.
Sugar Ray Robinson
Cadillac $5K Sugar Ray Robinson, born Walker Smith Jr. in 1921, moved from Georgia’s racist South to Harlem when he was a teen. At a local gym, Sugar Ray was introduced to boxing. He became the champion of the world winning both the welterweight and middleweight titles. His 91-day winning-streak is legendary. Muhammad Ali called him, “the king, the master, my idol.” He retired in 1965 with an all-time record of 108 knockouts. Sugar Ray earned $4 million during his career, but by the time he retired, he had spent it all, according to his autobiography.
Sadly, Ray struggled financially until his death in 1989. He made plenty of lavish purchases. One is this flamingo-pink Cadillac. He’s pictured posing with it in front of his Harlem club. It was his pride and joy. The 1950 Cadillac cost the flamboyant spender $5,000. The boxer also spent lavishly on his 13-man entourage which included a hairdresser. His barber made sure he looked perfect before stepping into the ring. He was one of the first athletes to require a touring staff
