Miles Davis was prolific, releasing over 40 compilation albums, 39 live albums, and 4 soundtracks, across an objectively transformative career.
Davis was a lot more than just a musician, of course. He was/is a style icon, industry pioneer, and notably for today, a genuine car enthusiast. I’ve been chasing information, back stories, and photos of his cars over the years. Please let me know which ones I missed.
1955 Jaguar XK140 FHC
Davis bought the Jaguar XK140 after the success of his 1954 album Walkin’. The XK140 was a refined successor to the XK120, with improved handling and more interior space, but definitely an elegant cruiser rather than something very sporty. It came with a 3.4L straight-six engine and could reach top speeds close to 125 mph. I haven’t been able to find pictures of his actual car, so if you find any please send them my way.
1964 Ferrari 275 GTB
After a brief hiatus from performing, Davis returned in the mid-1960s with E.S.P. and a red Ferrari. The 275 GTB was one of the most innovative sports cars of its time, with a 3.3L V12 and a rear-mounted transaxle for better weight distribution. Davis drove it in New York and Los Angeles, where its elegant lines and spicy performance seem to suit him quite well.
1972 Lamborghini Miura
As fusion took hold, Davis’s style shifted again. The Lamborghini Miura, with its transverse-mounted V12 and radical Bertone design, fit the decade’s changing tastes. Its low stance and 170 mph top speed made it one of the first true supercars. Davis drove a lime-green Miura in the early 1970s during a period of both reclusion and experimentation. Miles reportedly kept a .357 Magnum under the driver’s seat, and in October 1972 he totaled it on Manhattan’s West Side Highway, breaking several bones in the process.
1984 Porsche 930 Turbo
In the 1980s, Davis took a brief break from Italian sports cars, buying Porsche 930 Turbo. With its distinctive wide rear stance, rear spoiler, and turbocharged flat-six engine, the 930 turbo was fast (for the era), loud, and a bit demanding to drive around town. I haven’t been able to find a pic of his.
Ferrari Testarossa(s)
I think the Testarossa is the car I most associate with Miles. First produced in 1984, the Pininfarina-designed powerhouse packs a 380 hp, 4.9-liter flat-12 engine (with 361 ft lbs of torque) paired with a gated 5-speed manual transmission. Miles appears to have owned two of them, one in yellow (Giallo) and one in Silver Metallic (Argento Matalizzato). The silver car, with a “Miles22” plate, was featured in a fantastic 1989 60 Minutes interview (starting at 8:30 time stamp).
“By me having a $60,000 yellow Ferrari, being black and living in a beachfront house in Malibu, the police have already stopped me three times,” he told Quincy Troupe in 1985 for an article in Spin. “This happens all the time. They’re always saying they thought I was drunk, that I was weaving all over the place. This happens especially at night on the Pacific Coast Highway.”
-Miles Davis
GEMS FOR SALE THIS WEEK
135 N Rossmore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
13007 Dewey St, Los Angeles, CA 90066
1091 N Kenter Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049
17610 Chase St, Northridge, CA 91325
53 Walnut Tree Dr, Colusa, CA 95932
1497 S Devonshire Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
3017 E Saint Marys Cir, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
724 N Eastcapitol Blvd E, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
1464 S Eudora Street, Denver, CO 80222
597 Middle Waitsburg Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362
1934 Kessler Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75208
903 Bragg Cir, Tullahoma, TN 37388
8925 North Maitland Rd, Bayside, WI 53217
