When Paul McCartney (with a little help from him friends) sung the line “baby you can drive my car” it was 100% not directed to his long time friend and band mate, John Lennon. John was, in all honesty a terrible driver and he didn't get his license until he was 24. In the afternoon of 15th of February 1965 the Beatles would go into Abbey Road studios to start recording their new album ‘Help.’ It was earlier that morning that John finally passed his driving test and got his license, in Weybridge, Surrey, where he lived with his wife Cynthia and son Julian.
(photo from google image search)
He was the final of all 4 Beatles to pass the test, however before and after he got his license he rarely drove himself. It wasn’t long before Lennon's confidence was heavily knocked while driving, after crashing his car shortly after. On the rare occasion he got behind the wheel he navigated the roads poorly and had little to no respect to others on the road, Instead he expected others to get out of the way for him! In one story he was trying to navigate a narrow ‘long and winding road’ in Dorset in his Mini Cooper, with his Aunt Mimi and son Julian In the car, when he came face to face with another driver he refused to move out the middle of the road and just sat there in his car expecting the other person to reverse a great distance so he could pass.
(photo from google image search)
When the other driver refused to Lennon got out his car to talk to the driver. When the other driver saw who he was facing he was of course very surprised, but agreed to reverse back if he signed his autograph for him to give his wife. The fact that John’s psychedelic Rolls Royce Phantom V, was in such good shape was probably a sign that he hardly drove it himself and instead let his own personal driver Les Anthony take the responsibility of driving the one of a kind car anywhere Lennon or Cynthia needed to go. July 1st 1969, marked the end of Lennon’s driving, however he would go on to ride motorbikes and off-road vehicles around his estate in Ascot.
(photo from google image search)
While Lennon and Ono were enjoying a trip to the Scottish Highlands, Lennon felt confident enough to try and drive the narrow roads of the surrounding area in his current car, Austin Maxi hatchback. The confidence was misplaced however as the drive ended when he lost control of the vehicle and wound up in a ditch. The event put himself, his son Julian, Yoko Ono and her daughter Kyoko all in hospital, the four of them were taken to Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie, where Julian was treated for shock and Lennon, Ono, and Kyoko all received stitches to repair lacerations to their faces.
(Photo from google image search)
Yoko was pregnant at the time, and also sustained back injuries. Cynthia, John’s ex-wife wasn't told Julian would be traveling to Scotland, and became very concerned for Julian's welfare when she found out about the accident, she became even more annoyed when she found out that he'd been sent 50 miles away to stay with John's aunt after being discharged from hospital. Cynthia then traveled to the hospital to try and get an explanation out of John, but was reportedly turned away by Lennon, who refused to see or talk to his ex-wife. When the press asked John about the incident he replied “you’re going to have a car crash, try to arrange for it to happen in the Highlands,"
(photo from google image search)
The event left John with facial scars for the rest of his life. Lennon eventually had the crashed car placed in his garden, as a piece of art.
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