Robert Downey Jr. gives away first of six classic cars modified into EVs


Robert Downey Jr. is best known for his roles playing “Iron Man” and Admiral Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer,” but the Oscar winner is also an avid car collector and environmentalist who on Thursday gave away the first of six classic cars he’s retrofit into electric vehicles as part of the Downey Dream Cars Sweepstakes.


What You Need To Know

  • Robert Downey Jr. gave away the first of six classic cars he’s retrofit into electric vehicles as part of the Downey Dream Cars Sweepstakes
  • He kissed the converted Chevrolet K10 pickup truck goodbye before handing over the keys to LA resident Marc Scarpa
  • Proceeds from the sweepstakes benefit Downey’s environmental advocacy nonprofit, the Footprint Coalition
  • Upcoming cars that will be given away include an eco-modified 1965 VW Bus and 1965 Chevy Corvette

The actor kissed his converted Chevrolet pickup goodbye before handing over the keys to winner Marc Scarpa, who traveled from LA to the New York Auto Show last week to retrieve the truck.

The 1972 K10 got 8 miles per gallon before being converted with an electric motor and battery.

“The goal of this yearlong sweepstakes is to raise significant funding to help environmental technologies take hold in a more systematic way,” the Footprint Coalition said in a statement. All benefits from the sweepstakes will benefit the nonprofit environmental advocacy group Downey founded in 2019. “Our job is to race to curate the solutions that can change human systems in the timeliest manner — from research to rollout to new normal.”

The five other eco-modified cars that will be given away through July this year include Downey’s 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE, 1965 VW Bus, 1966 Buick Riviera, 1965 Chevy Corvette and 1985 Chevy El Camino.


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