James Martin snubs historic Ferrari as he reveals favourite car in his £5m collection is one of the cheapest he owns
TV chef James Martin revealed his favourite car in his £5 million collection is one of the cheapest he owns, snubbing a historic Ferrari.
The star also passed over a motorsport legend in favour of a budget runaround.
James is best known to Brits as the loveable face of BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and, since 2017, ITV’s Saturday Morning with James Martin.
However, many fans might not know that he’s a true petrolhead at heart, boasting an extensive collection of high-end and classic cars.
His stable includes the “absolutely incredible” Ferrari 275 GTB, of which he oversaw an extensive restoration.
That model alone has an average price of over £2 million at auction.
The presenter is also the proud owner of a pair of Subaru Imprezas driven by rally legends Colin McRae and Petter Solberg.
However, when asked to pick out his best-loved motors, the first motor that popped into his mind was a humble pick-up truck.
In a YouTube interview with former model, TV star and racing driver Jodie Kidd, herself famed for breaking lap records on Top Gear, James praised the Toyota Hilux for its practicality and storage space.
He said: “I’ve got a Toyota Hilux pickup truck that I absolutely love – you can chuck everything in it and it will go forever.
“All my mates take the p***: ‘So you’ve got all these cars, but you drive around in a pick-up truck?'”
The Hilux is still available in limited capacity today and only costs about £34,000 despite, in James’ estimation, beating out legendary sportsters worth millions.
He added that he also makes good use of a BMW 760Li, with over £100,000, which he bought on the recommendation of Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay.
James raved: “A lot of people buy RSA Audis and stuff like that, but the 760Li is absolutely mega – V12, 700 horsepower… Mega.”
It comes after a set of four stunning British cars made famous by James Bond went under the hammer in a world-first auction at over £1 million each.