Any good motorhead knows who Chip Foose is, from his successful MotorTrend’s show “Overhaulin’”. Chip’s top tier designing skills allows him to build the most game-changing cars, from the classics to the modern but elegant ones, surely leaving his blueprint as one of the most innovative artists in the automotive field.

While it would be fair to say Chip’s worldwide fame is owed mainly to his career on TV, his success off-camera includes working with many top car manufacturers in the world, and with his own brand. Obviously, his wide recognition has not only gained him a huge fortune but has also enabled him to become the owner of one largely impressive personal car collection.

So how many cars does Chip Foose own? How many cars were designed by him, and what others are from other creators? So how much is Chip’s collection actually worth? Keep with us to know it all!

Hemisfear

It’s almost impossible to count how many cars Chip Foose has designed throughout his decades long career, but it’s for certain that he keeps the best of the best for himself. One good example of that is the stunning Hemisfear, one of the first cars Chip ever designed back in his senior year at Art Center in the early 1990s.

The first model for the Hemisfear was a violet fiberglass 1/5th-scale model he built for Chrysler, which a couple of years later mass sold a very similar version of it named the Plymouth Prowler: ‘The original sketches of the car were based on the ’70 ‘Cuda side view and the plan view of a ’33 Plymouth’, as Chip told Hagerty in 2019.

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Although the first the public knew about his original design was in a 1991 Hot Rod issue feature, it didn’t become a reality until 15 years later, when Chip teamed up with Metalcrafters to finally produce a full-size Hemisfear, the most loyal in design to his original concept to date. It was unveiled in 2006’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) exhibition, becoming so popular that five of them were produced with an impressive price of $298,000 each. The green-colored model which Chip keeps in his garage is undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching in his collection.

1932 P-32 Street Fighter

Chip is known for being an innovative designer, even while bringing to life classic-looking vehicles. Such is the case of the P-32 Street Fighter, a hot rod born from a 1932 Ford chassis on which is mounted the body of a Brookville Roadster.

Flying into the weekend ✈️ #P32 #foose #chipfoose #foosedesign #32ford pic.twitter.com/LDa7JPUiTp

— Chip Foose (@chipfoose) October 12, 2018

The Street Fighter was born from an idea which wouldn’t leave Chip alone, as his website states: ‘what if a pilot returned from the war and missed his plane so much that he built a hot rod to emulate his old aircraft?’. Other inspiration sources worth mentioning are the twin piston-engined P-38 Lightning fighter, and the 1932 Ford Highboy.

Taking direct inspiration from the long-range P-51 Mustang fighter, Chip used what little free time he had from filming “Overhaulin’” to create this car, using the aforementioned parts, and adding his own aircraft-style nose design. The car is powered by Lincoln’s V12 engines, plus brakes and other parts, without forgetting eye-catching details such as real B-17 seats.

Although Chip built the Street Fighter in the late 2000s, it wasn’t truly shown to the public until SEMA’s 2017 exhibition.

2006 Ford GT

In 2013 Chip Foose hit the 50-year-old mark, and to celebrate it, his wife Lynne wisely gifted him another car for his collection, one he had always dreamed of owning. Although the 2006 Ford GT was originally designed to look slick and daringly modern, Chip put it upon himself to enhance its best features with his personal style.

While some performance fixings were added to it, the most extreme changes were to its appearance, focusing on making its bumper almost unnoticeable, while adding other details such as decorated frame extensions, and his own Chip Foose-designed wheels, with aluminum alloys and orange-stripped. The vehicle’s dark silver colored exterior with white and orange details adds to this GT’s tasteful combination, of which Chip was undoubtedly so proud of that he exhibited during 2014’s SEMA event.

Although it’s unknown what Chip’s car is valued at, according to AutoTrader, the price of a common 2006 Ford GT is over $250,000. That being said, it’s doubtful that Chip would ever want to sell such a special gift.

1913 Ford Model T

Of course, owning a history-relevant car is every collector’s dream, and Chip Foose is no exception. Unlike most vehicles in his garage, this Model T’s design isn’t modified in the least, besides the paint job which keeps it looking as stunning as when it was released in 2013.

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Although the performance of Chip’s Ford T is unknown, having this car in his garage is probably more a matter of sentimentalism, given how crucial the development of this particular roadster is for the industry in general, being the first attempt from Ford to mass produce an affordable car, that is, on an assembly line.

A century later, there aren’t many T Models in existence, and very few look as well preserved as the one in Chip’s collection.

2015 Ford Mustang GTs

Sometimes collectors have unique pieces in their collections, but other times they can have two different versions of the same vehicle as well. That’s the case of the two 2015 Ford Mustangs in Chip Foose’s collection, which are actually quite different, despite being almost the same vintage model.

His Ford Mustang GT was built in collaboration with Modern Muscle Design in 2015, before being introduced to the general public in that year’s Mustang Show held in Pennsylvania. While this particular car was leveled-up in power thanks to additional 2.9 liter superchargers, added to its custom designed wheels by Foose. When it comes to appearances, certain enhanced details such as the ‘front chin spoiler, hood scoop, rocker panels, side scoops, quarter-window louvers, and rear spoiler’ give an ‘aggressive’ look to it, as MotorTrend reports.

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His other 2015 Ford is a Mustang GT Convertible, also designed and assembled by Chip and Modern Muscle Design, but this time to commemorate first model’s 50th anniversary. Once again, this specific model was enhanced both in power and looks to convey the special occasion through Chip’s vision, but without losing the car’s essence.

1935 Cadillac-Inspired Madam X

If we have to mention one special car in Chip’s collection, that’s definitely the Madam X. This convertible sedan was directly inspired by the works of Harley Earl and Art Ross of General Motors, from the 1930s to the 1950s. Even ‘the Madam X’ name comes from one of Earl’s early designs for the company, later becoming a trademark title for the most special vehicles built in his division.

Madam X will be on display at BASF @RefinishNews booth #20367 #SEMA pic.twitter.com/pYQhunz7XY

— Chip Foose (@chipfoose) October 31, 2016

Under the commission of Wes and Vivian Rydell, Chip took a 1939 Cadillac 60 Special 4-door, and transformed it into a two-door convertible, in remembrance to the designs done by General Motors during the 1950s, but powered fitting to the current modern times: ‘It’s highly, highly modified, but the greatest thing about that car is that it looks like a production car. I didn’t want it to look like a custom’, as Chip commented to Hagerty.

Although the Madam X is a commission design, it’s exhibited as part of Chip’s collection.

1971 De Tomaso Pantera

The Pantera is quite a unique car in itself. Initially, only 7,000 of these were produced by the Italian manufacturer De Tomaso for two decades, but its importation to the US stopped in 1975, making it quite rare to find one these days.

The 1971 Pantera supercar is surely a sight to behold, which surely is one of the reasons Chip didn’t heavily modify it. Its slick red paint looks as if it has just been got out of stock, going harmoniously well with the original chrome details of the interior and the black leather seats he added. The most extreme changes done to the Pantera belong under the hood, where Chip powered up with a 351 Ford Cleveland engine and new gearbox, in an effort to evoque 1980’s sport cars. according to MotorTrend.

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Chip’s 1971 Pantera gained huge praise at the 2015 SEMA exhibition, but it’s unclear how much it’s valued at.

1965 Chevy Impalas

Chip Foose owns two 1965 Chevy Impalas, though they’re not equally as famous. First we have The Impostor, named for being built from a 2009 Corvette’s chassis and hood, including the mechanical aspects. Despite that, The Impostor preserves the essence of an original Chevy Impala, minus the several inches removed from its body and roof per the request of Don Voth, who bought the car in his teens, and gifted the rebuilt version to his wife Elma.

The Imposter is not a common-looking car, which it’s why it won a Ridler award in 2015. Given its unusualness and significance, Elma Voth told Detroit News she was doubtful about driving the car on a daily basis: ‘I was going to get groceries in it. When Chip showed this to me, I said, ‘We’re going to be on a very strict diet’, she admitted, which explains why the car is nowadays exhibited at Chip’s garage.

Regarding his other Chevy Impala, apparently it’s still untouched since it entered Chip’s garage, but it probably won’t stay that way forever.

1967 Chevy C/28

Although Chip Foose’ Chevy C/28 might look like an usual truck, this specific car is the biggest proof of his ability to successfully blend what decades ago was thought impossible. Back in the 1960s, high performance muscle cars were a priority for most manufacturers, making it understandable why so many non-muscle models from that time aren’t as speed-focused as expected, as AutoEvolution.com reports.

While trucks such as the 1967 Chevrolet C-10 did well sales-wise, its potential for mechanical improvement is vast, and that’s something Chip knows well. After installing a 1967 Camaro Z/28, he couldn’t help but keep adding muscle car features to his C-10, such as bumpers and a Hotchkis suspension kit, added to Foose Design wheels.

We just unveiled the C/28 in the @3mauto @3mfilms booth, my personal 1967 Chevy C-10 with Camaro Z/28 performance.
It’s here all week at the @semashow, booth #12145
What do you think?

head to our YouTube page as we upload the complete build video in an eight part series! pic.twitter.com/1nvMILoLHd

— Chip Foose (@chipfoose) October 30, 2018

Even though the C/28 isn’t exactly favored by those afraid of risks, this creation gained huge praise at the 2018 SEMA’s event, and is now one of Chip’s everyday drives.

2002 Ford Thunderbird

While Chip Foose’s love for rebuilding cars from past eras is evident, he has never been afraid to transform modern cars too. Back in 2002, his business Foose Design was pretty new, and though he had recently won the trophy for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster for his 0032 rebuild, he still needed to give his company a big push.

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The right opportunity came that year, when Ford Motors provided him with a Thunderbird, and expected it to be exhibited at the SEMA Show, in addition to featuring the build during an episode of TLC’s “Rides” show. Accepting both challenges, Chip designed the slick silver-painted Speedbird, taking some parts from the Volkswagen Beetle, and from other Ford models, achieving a look which perfectly mixes classic and modern in one car.

Beside the praise the Speedbird gained at SEMA, his popularity with his “Rides” episode gained Chip his own show “Overhaulin’” a couple of years later.

Though in 2021 the Speedbird was spotted on sale online for almost $50,000, to date the car is still listed on Chip’s website as his property.

1932 Ford 5-Window

While rebuilding a personal drive is sometimes risky, considering the lack of limitations often set by customers, the truth is that Chip Foose’s vast talent and tasteful aesthete makes him unable to deliver ugly-looking creations. His silky black 1932 Ford 5 Window coupe proves his ability to bring vehicles back to life, without losing their essence.

The 5-Window had previously belonged to a friend of Chip, who’d preserved it for decades untouched, but despite knowing the infinite potential this blank canvas of a car had, Chip didn’t do much to it except for redesigning its flathead, applying a layer of paint, and slightly changing its mechanics.

His original concept of a car which would look like being out of a 1932 SEMA’s show was achieved, but it was also a mission accomplished by him personally: ‘One of my father’s friends had a five-window coupe, and I thought it would be so cool to have one, one day; and today’s that day’, he told MotorTrend in 2017.

1956 Ford F-100

Last but not least, Chip’s 1956 Ford F-100 is undoubtedly one of the most important cars he ever built for its personal significance. Bought from his father’s garage at 13 years of age, Chip spent years working on it before finally able to drive it legally. Despite leaving it unused in his garage for years, he never stopped thinking of many ways he could rebuild it.

The @RevellUSA model kit of my 1956 Ford FD-100 pickup is now available for purchase. The truck was laser scanned to create all new tooling! pic.twitter.com/jeVWbNGLf6

— Chip Foose (@chipfoose) June 22, 2017

Unbeknownst to Chip, in 2005 the car was ‘stolen’ with his father’s help, and rebuilt through “Overhaulin’”. Chip saw his beloved car again at that year’s SEMA, an emotional event he’ll surely remember as one of the most significant in his career and personal life, making evident where the core of his passion for cars truly lies.

When you are living as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, you probably think that the millions you have accumulated over the decades will last forever. Well, that is usually not the case, and the high life and various commodities can drain the sources over time. This is precisely what happened to Johnny Depp, who in 2016 learned that his $650 million were gone. But where did they go?

Who is Johnny Depp?

Johnny Depp is an actor, producer, and musician perhaps best known to the public for his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the film series “Pirates of the Caribbean.” During his nearly four-decades-long career, he has received various accolades such as Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTA Awards, and nominations for three Academy Awards.

He was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, to Betty Sue Palmer, a waitress, and civil engineer, John Christopher Depp. Johnny was raised alongside three older siblings, and during his childhood, his family often moved from place to place, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. From a young age, he aspired to become a musician, and after his mother gifted him a guitar, he began exploring that career path even more, playing in various bands and pubs. In 1979 at 16, he dropped out of Miramar High School to become a rock star. However, he instead became one of the best actors.

Road to Success

With the help of Nicholas Cage, in 1984, Johnny made his debut in the Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” portraying the main character’s boyfriend, Glen Lantz.

In 1990, he began one of his most famous collaborations with the esteemed producer and director Tim Burton after being cast as the titular character in the fantasy romance movie “Edward Scissor Hands” alongside Winona Ryder. The film was a huge commercial and critical success setting Johnny on his arrow-straight path to stardom, while his performance earned him his first Golden Globe Award. His next significant role came in 1993 when he played the main character, Gilbert Grape, in the coming-of-age drama “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Throughout the rest of the decade, he appeared in several successful movies, including “Ed Wood” (1994), “Don Juan DeMarco” (1995), and “The Ninth Gate” (1999).

In 2003 he scooped his most famous role, Captain Jack Sparrow, in the first installment of the Disney franchise “Pirates of the Caribbean,” receiving nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He would go on to star in the five installments.

Now a household name, Johnny, continued his streak of successes in the new millennium, starring in several popular and critically acclaimed Tim Burton movies such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005) and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007).

His Downfall

After nearly two decades of undeniable hit movies, by 2012, Johnny was considered one of the greatest stars of Hollywood, becoming the highest-paid actor -$75 million per role. However, during the same year, he played the main role in Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows,” which was a commercial and critical flop, putting Johnny’s acting appeal in question. Seemingly falling off the Hollywood bandwagon, Johnny starred in several unsuccessful movies, such as “Transcendence” (2014), “Mordecai” (2015), and “Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass” (2016). In contrast, he also has some moderately successful roles in the “Black Mass” (2015) and “Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them.” However, in 2016 his then-wife Amber Heard accused him of domestic violence and sought a temporary restraining order, followed by a row of paparazzi. After these accusations, Johnny’s image and reputation became tarnished, damaging his career and credibility. Subsequently, he began losing roles, becoming unemployable, and additionally, Disney cut off ties with the problematic actor.

12 years ago Alice in Wonderland came out and we saw Johnny Depp’s iconic Mad Hatter for the first time pic.twitter.com/lGF568MhJ3

— Marta ???? (@DlORDEPP) March 6, 2022

How he lost his millions?

In 2016 he announced that his $650 million simply vanished and sued The Media Group (TMG) for $25 million, alleging that they committed ‘fraud, negligent misrepresentations, wrongful closure and a breach of fiduciary duty.’ Furthermore, he claimed that the company’s mismanagement of his assets caused him to lose millions, forcing him to sell millions-of worth of possession to make up for their dishonesty. Johnny also filed a lawsuit against his talent layer Jake Bloom for malpractice, disclosing that Jake was a part of a ruse with TMG and worked against his interest for financial gain.

TMG denied all of these allegations and launched a counter-suit against the actor, accusing him of living ‘an extravagant life that he could not afford. The lawsuit was settled in 2018, although most details and information of the settlement remained unavailable to the public. Regardless, the case brought many of Johnny’s personal and family issues to the surface, informing the people of his reckless spending habits, including massive amounts of alcohol and drugs.

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Family’s Spending

Johnny, known as a very generous man, bought his mother a farm after securing one of his first roles, and he later disclosed that soon after, one of his sisters, her husband, and their child moved in with his mother at the farm. So naturally, he tasked the family with managing the farm. However, this would later turn out to be a massive mistake for Johnny. His Kentucky family living at the farm assumed a high life at the cost of Johnny’s money, which they claimed went to Johnny’s mother. By the time TMG alerted Johnny of his family’s extravagant spending, it had been going on for years at the time. After asking for proof, TMG provided him with a 200-page document; Johnny said: ‘My sister was buying handbags for my mom, who was bedridden. Jewelry, fu*king this, that, everything.’

When his mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, he began renting a house in Los Angeles for her to use, costing $30,000 per month. However, Johnny claimed that after his mother’s health improved, he told the company to cancel the lease, which they did not do, resulting in a significant accumulation of rent money. TMG denied these accusations again and said they renegotiated the lease as instructed. Interestingly, his sister’s family has been living at the farm after Betty Sue died; Johnny disclosed: ‘Their thinking is that I’m going to take care of them forever and that the farm is now theirs. I didn’t make that promise.’

Marriage to Amber Heard

After falling in love with the actress Amber Heard, whom he met on the set for “The Rum Diary,” Johnny broke off his long-term relationship with Vanessa Paradis. Johnny and Amber began dating in 2012 and tied the knot in 2015 in a very lavish $1million worth wedding in the Bahamas. However, the bliss did not last long, and in the following year, Amber filed for divorce, after which she received $7 million, pledging it to charity. She also demanded $50,000 a month for spousal support to accommodate her new lifestyle. Although $7 million does not seem like a considerable sum for a multi-millionaire such as Johnny, it is believed that during the marriage, he supported her and her friends, paying for various expenses and gifts and even providing living space for them. Furthermore, at the time, Amber was not a prominent actress, and her income was low so, it is safe to assume that Johnny covered all the living expenses and later, a ton of legal fees.

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Compulsive Spending

Since launching his career, Johnny has developed various ill habits, including compulsive spending, which contributed to his financial losses. As an avid musician and art lover, he spent thousands of dollars on unique and rare guitars and allegedly bought over 200 pieces of art, including Warhol’s. In addition, Johnny treated himself with various expensive cars and vehicles; he bought an 18 million yacht and maintaining it cost over 350,000 a month. Besides his material indulgences, he showed his generosity toward his family, friends, and employees, often gifting precious items; those include a 400,000 diamond cuff for Amber and a $7,000 couch from “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” for his daughter Lily-Rose. Probably one of his weirdest purchases includes specially-made cannon worth $3 million to blast the ashes of the author Hunter S. Thompson over Aspen, Colo.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Johnny has struggled with alcoholism and addiction for most of his life and has always been open and candid about it. However, over the years, he developed a taste for costly wines, which he allegedly drank from dusk ’till dawn. According to reports TMG delivered to the court, Johnny spent over $30,000 per month on wine. He once disclosed: ‘I investigated wine and spirits thoroughly and they certainly investigated me as well, and we found out that we got along beautifully, but maybe too well.’ Johnny later even said that he spent more than TMB reported and that ‘wine is not an investment if you drink it as soon as you get it.’

His drug abuse was well known as Johnny indulged in an array of illegal substances, including cocaine, mushrooms, and MDMA. During his defamation trial in 2022, his ex-wife Amber claimed that he often used drugs and was high most of the time. In her testimony, she disclosed that he had a jar of cocaine. In a 2018 Rolling Stone interview, the reporter claimed that the actor used hashish in his presence, and there was a huge rolled joint in the ashtray. However, that was not the only issue Johnny had. After years of constant consumption, he became tough to work with and would have these mood swings. According to various reports, he often arrived late at the set or even showed up under the influence, which did not portray him in good light regardless of his stellar career. A source revealed that it was tough to get a hold of him: ‘It became harder to get the right time to get him. Previously, it was just the question of whether he was free, but now it became a matter of finding a time when he was free and clear of mind and in the right mood.’

If Johnny’s spending money on drugs which are not cheap, the same way he spent it on art and wine, no wonder he went through it quickly.

Taxes and Staff

According to the court documents from Johnny’s legal battle with TMG, his tax lawyer, Mirriam Fisher, disclosed that Johnny often failed to pay taxes. As she dealt with the issues, she learned from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that Johnny’s accounts ‘reflected a history of untimely compliance with his federal tax payment obligations.’

From 2000 to 2014, Johnny managed to rack up nearly 6 million in penalties and interests for late payments. In addition, a review of his tax situation for 2015 showed that he owed the IRS another 300,000 in interest. Keep in mind that these debts only included interest and late penalties tacked on the taxes, not what he owned in actual taxes, which was probably a jaw-dropping sum. Johnny said to the Rolling Stone: ‘I just had no clue. If you’re knowingly not paying the US government taxes, somebody is gonna fuc*ing catch up with you and hand you a bill.’

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Besides his family living off his back, it seemed that Johnny had issues managing his staff, as he hired over 40 full-time staff members. In addition, he paid a monthly tab of 150,000 for his family’s security detail and $200,000 a month for a private jet. His extravagance did not stop there- Johnny allegedly paid $1 million to have a doctor on the call for emergencies. TMG made numerous other claims against the actor, including that he refused to memorize his lines, so he hired a full-time engineer to feed him his dialogue, which cost thousands of dollars. In his interview, Johnny admitted to hiring the engineer but claimed it had nothing with him not wanting to learn the text.

Real Estate and Lawsuits

His compulsive spending also extended to real estate. In addition to the farm he bought for his mother, he acquired 13 other residences, including the five houses in Hollywood Hills, which reportedly cost over $19 million. If you caught up with his recent defamation trial, you must have heard of his five penthouses in Los Angeles, where he lived with Amber. The actor sold two penthouses, and the remaining three are reportedly worth over $6 million. Also, Johnny is one of the rare individuals who owns a private island that he dubbed “Fu*k Off Island,” worth over 5 million. On top of all these lavish residences, Johnny owns an enormous estate in France. It is unclear how much he paid for it, but it is known that he spent over $10 million on restoration. In total, his real estate cost him over $75 million.

Numerous lawsuits he encountered over the years were another massive drain on his finances. Starting with his break-up with Vanessa Paradis, his divorce from Amber, and his lawsuit against TMG, it is estimated that the actor paid millions in legal fees. In addition, TMG disclosed that Johnny employed an army of lawyers who would quietly settle his lawsuits and keep him out of trouble.

In 2018, two of his employees sued Johnny for unpaid labor, claiming that the actor put them in unsafe situations, such as transporting illegal substances. During the same year, the UK media outlet, the Sun, called the actor ‘a wife beater’ in one of their articles, prompting Johnny to sue the outlet for defamation. Furthermore, the same media outlet criticized J.K. Rowling for casting ‘an abuser’ in her popular franchise “The Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them.” A month later, Johnny was sued by the location manager of the “City of Lies,” who accused the actor of hitting him while intoxicated on the set. Depp refused to give any statements, but the movie’s director commented on the situation and said: ‘Depp always treats the crew and people around him with the utmost respect. We all love stories-there is not one here.’

Being one of the most popular and wealthiest actors can be a burden when you have irrational spending habits and an army of greedy family members and employers, as well as drug and alcohol addiction. The insane story of his lost millions proves that continuous recklessness can sweep even the seemingly unspendable fortunes.