Johnny Depp has been all over the news lately thanks to his high-profile defamation case against Amber Heard. However, Depp wasn’t always counted among the ranks of celebrities. In fact, one of his first jobs was a blue-collar job that didn’t end well for him. Let’s look at Depp’s stint as a gas station mechanic and how his wealth has contributed to his impressive car collection.

Depp’s fame and wealth afford him the finer things

Depp’s love of the finer things in life has led him to some interesting investments. For example, he once owned a yacht called the Vajoliroja, named by Depp by blending the names of his two children and his ex-wife. It became the Amphitrite before it was sold to a new owner in January 2016. That new owner, in turn, then sold the yacht to J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books.

Depp also bought an island at the behest of a long-time friend and mentor, Marlon Brando. The island is a 45-acre tropical island in the Caribbean called Little Hall’s Pond Cay, which features beaches named after his children and ex-wife Vanessa Paradis. One of the beaches honors the life of his friend Hunter S. Thompson, which he calls Gonzo beach. 

Johnny Depp’s short stint as a gas station mechanic

Depp told Interview Magazine that one of his first jobs was as a gas station mechanic. He started out pumping gas, but was soon moved to the garage to be a mechanic. He said, “I told the dude, ‘Hey, I know very little about this.’ And he said, ‘Oh, you’ll just do what I tell you to do and it will work out fine.’ Well, it didn’t.”

He says that he changed the tires and did an alignment on a customer’s car. When the customer drove away, the left rear wheel came off. He said that after the incident, he was asked to leave. However, this didn’t quelch his love for cars.

Depp’s eclectic collection of cars

Depp’s collection of cars is not your typical celebrity collection. His first car was a 1969 Chevrolet Nova, which he still has in his collection today but doesn’t drive much. He also has the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette that was seen in The Rum Diary alongside his co-star, who would later become his wife, Amber Heard. It was their first film together, an encounter that would lead to a tumultuous marriage and subsequent legal battles.

According to court records, when their marriage was ending, Heard sent Depp a list of demands which included that she be given use of a Range Rover that Depp owned. Though it isn’t surprising that Heard demanded a vehicle, it is an interesting choice considering that the Corvette was the vehicle that initially brought them together. Given the nature of their relationship, it would seem fitting that the Corvette might be her vehicle of choice.

Depp also owns a Rolls-Royce Wraith. This luxury couple was built on the BMW 7-series chassis. This particular vehicle set Depp back more than $300,000. It is powered by a 624 hp V-12 and can reach a top speed of 155 mph. 

Depp is one of Hollywood’s most interesting celebrities because he doesn’t follow trends. He has his own way and style when it comes to cars and many other things in his life. However, he is still down-to-earth and seemingly approachable despite his eclectic tastes, most likely due to his short-lived stint as a blue-collar worker.