February 25th, 2011

Amber Heard stars in the new film Drive Angry 3D with Nicolas Cage. She might be an actress staring in a car movie, but she didn’t have to dig too deep to prepare for the role—she is already a huge car lover. She owns a 1968 Mustang. Her all-time favorite car is a 1969 Shelby. And she even appeared on Top Gear!

Check out some excerpts from her interview on Vulture:

I know you’ve got an awesome vintage Ford Mustang. When did you become a car person?
I grew up in Texas, and people love their American-made muscle cars there. I grew up around people who loved cars and took care of cars and my dad’s a big car nut, so I learned a little bit about cars — how to love them, most importantly. I think that from the time I could remember, I’ve always envisioned myself in a vintage muscle car.

Is it hard to take care of?
Yeah, but that’s part of the love. I can’t explain the relationship I have with my Mustang, but—

I’m assuming it’s high-maintenance.
It is. But it’s the kind of thing where if it were easy, it wouldn’t be as fun. My car gets stolen a lot, and every time I get her back, I have to repair her and do this or that. It’s like we’ve grown together.

Your car’s been stolen multiple times and you’ve always gotten it back?
Every time. Thank you, LAPD!

Are there any other cars you have your eye on?
If I could, I would be a collector, for sure. I’ve dabbled in a European vintage car or two, but it hasn’t really stuck. I think that the Chevelle is nice, but what I really want is a ‘69 Shelby.

Color?
I’m not particular about the color.

That seems like a major component.
You would think, right? But I’m not attached to the color so much because my Mustang was beautiful and pristine-looking and red like a Coke bottle, and it kept getting stolen when it was red. So I painted it a different color — a much more demure lady color — and it doesn’t get stolen anymore. So I’ve grown less attached to color since then.

You raced on Top Gear in the U.K. to promote the film, and Cameron Diaz beat you in a dry lap.
Damn her. Damn her.

I mean, it’s okay if you’re not a speed demon, but I thought you’d want to defend your performance.
But actually, I am a speed demon! I get tickets all the time and can’t stay under the speed limit. I’m bad at that. I certainly don’t drive angry, but I drive fast. Apparently, though, I don’t drive that fast on Top Gear. Also, I did it in a dress, so give me some credit.