Olivia’s first car in the US - Drive

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Olivia’s first car in the US

Olivia Newton-John’s first car when she moved to California was a super cool classic convertible, which was later sold at auction.

By Emma Notarfrancesco

Dame Olivia Newton-John, star of Grease and Grammy award winning artist, purchased a 1975 VW Super Beetle convertible when she first moved to Malibu, California.

The cream-coloured soft top was powered by a Bosch L-Jetronic fuel-injected 1584cc four-cylinder engine, mated to a four-speed manual transmission powering the rear wheels.

The Beetle was equipped with a McPherson Strut front suspension, drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, dual port cylinders, and an updated stereo. The vehicle was put up for sale through Julien’s Auctions in 2019, going under the hammer for just under $AU100,000.

This wasn’t the only car owned by the award-winning singer and actor that went under the hammer. Also in 2019, her original Tesla Roadster was up for grabs with the portion of the proceeds donated to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, located in her home town of Melbourne, Australia.

Purchased with her husband, John Easterling in 2010, the Tesla was the 742nd Roadster produced by Tesla, with an estimated starting value of $115,000 – as reported by Julien’s Auctions.

Features included one-speed direct-drive transmission, tachometer, engine immobiliser, traction control, anti-lock braking system, rear-wheel drive, adjustable suspension, front and rear ventilated brakes, forged wheels, bonded aluminium chassis, and a carbon-fibre body.

A unique vehicle at the time, the Roadster was the first highway legal car to use lithium-ion batteries as its power source.

As the star of the 1978 musical, Grease, Newton-John had plenty of screen time in iconic vehicles including the 1948 Studebaker Commander Regal, which starred as the ride for Rizzo and the Pink Ladies.

But perhaps the most celebrated car is the 1948 Ford De Luxe convertible which hero’s in the final scene as Newton-John’s character, Sandy, and co-star John Travolta (Danny), drive away singing the famous song, “we will always be together”.

Dubbed the ‘Greased Lightning’, the car resides on display in the Volo Auto Museum in Chicago.

Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away 8 August, 2022 aged 73.