The cars of Friends, both on- and off-screen
The cast of Friends have been making headlines with their reunion, now 17 years on from the finale of the world’s most popular TV show, and we’re all still wondering how these characters were able to afford apartments that large in NYC. But what about the cars of Friends? Let’s have a look at the on-screen and off-screen automotive antics of Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Ross, Chandler, and Joey.
On screen
The one where Ross buys an MG
To celebrate his 30th birthday Ross buys an MGB Roadster, proclaiming himself “a sports car enthusiast.” Unfortunately, the challenges of New York parking means he never gets to show just what his red roadster can do, seeing as it becomes wedged between two cars.
The one where Joey pretends to own a Porsche
When Joey finds a set of Porsche keys in Central Perk, he decides to leave a note for the car’s keeper. Standing by the 996, he’s mistaken for the owner by passers-by and decides that the Porsche lifestyle is for him.
The one where Monica is given her dad’s 911 Targa
Ross and Monica’s dad decides that he’s too old to be driving a 911. “I was driving it the other day and I saw my reflection in a store window. Your mother’s right, I do look like an ass,” he says and gives the key to Monica. Ross is not happy.
The one where Rachel gets stopped for speeding
Finally, Monica lets Rachel and Ross take the Porsche out for a drive. Rachel gets stopped for speeding but charms her way out of a ticket. Ross then takes the wheel and gets pulled over, for, well, the opposite of speeding. His attempts to get out of a ticket are not quite as successful.
The ones where Phoebe drives a cab
Phoebe inherits a yellow cab from her grandmother and proceeds to have a series of adventures, from getting locked out on the way to a ski lodge to picking up a scary hitcher and rushing Ross to the airport to catch Rachel in the Friends finale. Ross is terrified of Phoebe’s driving. “I don’t want to die in your cab!” he yells. “Yes, but you should have thought about that before you got in,” Phoebe retorts.
The one where things gets racy in Monica’s bedroom
Distracted by boxing Joey—and bloodying his nose—Phoebe signs for Monica’s new bed delivery without even looking at it. The bed is a bright red racing car and, well, you can probably guess control-freak Monica’s reaction.
Off screen
Matt LeBlanc is the biggest gearhead from the Friends cast, famously recording the fastest time on Top Gear’s “Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car” challenge before going on to host the show for 24 episodes. Just like his character Joey Tribbiani, LeBlanc is a Porsche guy and is said to own a 2012 911 Carrera GTS, a 1988 964 Carrera, a 1987 930 Turbo, a 2014 911 Turbo S, a 2016 911 R and a 2017 911 GT2 RS. Also in LeBlanc’s collection is a Ford Focus RS, a De Tomaso Pantera, and three Ferraris—a 360 Modena, a 458 Italia and a Testarossa.
Matthew Perry, it should be noted, doesn’t exactly have the best driving record. In 1998 he drove his Porsche into the porch of a Hollywood home and in April 2001 he was involved in another accident in a BMW convertible. Today he reportedly drives a Panamera and a BMW 6 Series, but he’s also owned an Audi R8 and a BMW Z8.
Jennifer Aniston likes to travel in luxury as demonstrated by a garage that’s contained a Bentley Continental GT, a Range Rover, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and an Audi A8.
Courtney Cox owns a Porsche 911, just like Monica. She has also owned a Tesla Model S, Jaguar S-Type, a Lexus IS C, a BMW 7 Series, and a Mercedes-Benz ML-Class.
Lisa Kudrow’s car collection is as eclectic as Phoebe. A Jaguar F-Type and a Porsche Cayman suggest she has a need for speed, while her Lexus RX and Toyota Prius hybrids are nods to a Phoebe-like hippie streak.
Finally, is David Schwimmer a “sports car enthusiast” like Ross claimed to be? Well, he’s owned a Jaguar XK8 and a Mustang GT, so maybe …
