The love affair between the cricket stars and cars is a never-ending one. During the height of their careers, many of these professional athletes like to invest on some of the most expensive and luxury vehicles. Some of them love to collect and display them proudly, but many of them simply enjoy the sense of speed and power on the road. Here we profile 3 Aussie cricketers and their ever-changing love affair with cars.
Shane Warne
The Australian cricket legend Shane Warne is a speed lover. He owns cars like the black Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, the Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari. Warne attributes his passion for cars to his dad, who taught him how to drive when he was 17. His dad also bought Shane his first car, a Ford TC Cortina with hotted-up magnesium alloy wheels.
Warne’s collection of luxury cars can be dated back to 1996 when he bought a Ferrari 355 Spider. Both in performance and quality, the F355 was the first Ferrari of a new generation and continues to be one of the most popular Ferraris ever. The F355 was later on sold by Warne in exchange for a Ferrari 360 Spider in titanium.
Ferraris were not enough for Warne. The spin king has parked a fleet of cars in his garage, including two Mercedes four-wheel-drives, two BMWs, a Bugatti Veyron 2008 and a Holden VK Commodore and the latest head-turning Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
Michael Clarke
The Australian cricket captain’s love of fast cars is no secret. Cricket fans may remember that he once splurged $250,000 on an Aston Martin as a Christmas gift for his former fiancée, Lara Bingle.
Last year, he even swapped his bat for a steering wheel and made a surprising appearance in the International Rally of Queensland. He drove a rally-prepared Mitsubishi Lancer Evo in the rally as part of the promotion for the personal sponsor BP Ultimate.
“It’s pretty well known that I have a passion for driving, but a part of me has always wondered what it would be like to go up against the best in the business,” Clarke said in a statement. “There’s no doubt that rally driving is one of the most exhilarating sports around and, as someone who puts my heart into everything I do, this is a great opportunity to mix it with some of the world’s best drivers.”
Trent Copeland
Copeland is a right-arm fast-medium bowler, who plies his trade for the NSW Blues – although he has also turned out for Australia and Australia A. Copeland’s first car was a second-hand Sigma, but he is now driving an Audi Q5 which he chose together with his wife Kim Green. After spending the whole day walking among the Range Rover, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, they finally chose the one they currently have.
Copeland’s ideal car is a Maserati. “But you know what? I can’t see myself having any car other than the one we’ve got at the moment. I’m pretty happy with it. I never thought I’d ever drive a car that nice.”
The fans of cricket players may admire both their skills and their ability to afford amazing cars, but remember that one of the most important issues you need to figure out when purchasing an awesome car is securing your auto finance. Those who want to start their car collection may consider consulting an expert from WAF first for bad credit car loans – don’t let your finances ruin your dream!
Author bio: Yuan Liu is a freelancer who always adores those who own cool vehicles, including Batman. She is thinking about getting a Toyota Prius for herself.