Fan-favorite actor Joe Mantegna still owns and drives his first car - a 1947 Buick.
"When I turned 19, my father needed a new car, so he handed me over our only car, which was a 1956 Chevrolet, already 11 years old," Chicago-born Mantegna told HNGN. "As it turns out, a friend of mine had seen this [1947 Buick] for sale, just parked on the street. I was in a band at the time and making a little money, so I decided to sell the Chevy and buy the Buick."
His investment of about $200 in that Buick led to a lifelong love affair with vintage American cars. When his career took off, after taking a role in "Hair" in 1969, he left Chicago for Los Angeles and the Buick was relegated to a barn in the Midwest for about 30 years. It wasn't until Mantegna received a phone call from the owner of the garage that he decided to "do right" by the Buick and bring it with him to California for a restoration.
The only thing he's kept with him longer than that?
"My wife," Mantegna joked.
Since moving to California, the star of "Criminal Minds" - and dozens of well-received films and TV shows - has kept up with the automotive industry, from becoming an amateur collector to voicing advertisements for Mercedes-Benz in the '90s. He describes the experience of owning classic cars in California as realizing his dreams as a teenager in Chicago.
Want to know more about Mantegna's fascination with classic American cars? Check out the full interview at HNGN's sister site, Auto World News.
