Dean Martin Trashed an Expensive Vintage Car at a McDonald’s Drive-Thru
In the mid-1970s, celebrities showing up at fast-food restaurants was already a familiar sight. Still, few moments from that era feel as strange as the night Dean Martin accidentally wrecked a high-end collector car while ordering McDonald’s. What was supposed to be a completely ordinary late-night stop for a hungry child reportedly turned into an unforgettable mess.
The story comes from Dean Martin’s relationship with Peggy Crosby, the former wife of Bing Crosby’s son, Phil Crosby Sr. Peggy’s son, Phil Crosby Jr., later shared the story publicly. According to family retellings, the crash happened around 1976, during the early years of widespread drive-thru adoption across the United States.
The Ultra-Luxury Car That Was Never Meant for Fast-Food Architecture
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Mr.choppers
The story involves Stutz Blackhawk, one of the most extravagant American luxury vehicles of the 1970s. The Blackhawk was hand-built, unusually wide, and priced in territory closer to exotic imports than standard American cars. Many were custom-ordered, and celebrities gravitated toward them. Elvis Presley owned one. Dean owned multiple Blackhawks during the decade, including early- and mid-1970s versions.
On the night of the crash, Dean was driving Peggy and her young son home after a social event where the child had not liked the available food. McDonald’s became the backup plan because Phil Crosby Jr. loved it. By the mid-1970s, McDonald’s had already established itself as one of the dominant fast-food brands in North America.
When America Was Still Learning How to Use Drive-Thrus
Image via Getty Images/NeonJellyfish
Drive-thru service was still new enough to feel experimental. McDonald’s opened its first drive-thru in 1975, meaning many drivers were still getting used to navigating narrow ordering lanes. Those spaces were built around standard cars, not oversized hand-built luxury coupes stretching close to 19 feet long and more than 6.5 feet wide.
According to the story, Dean pulled into the drive-thru lane and quickly realized the clearance was tighter than expected. The Stutz scraped against the structure, producing loud metal scraping noises as the car pushed forward. By the time the car reached the order window, the sides reportedly had serious body damage.
The Storied Crash
The scene inside the restaurant reportedly became unforgettable. Employees allegedly stared as a badly scraped luxury car rolled toward the window, with one of America’s biggest entertainers calmly sitting behind the wheel.
According to Phil Crosby Jr., the damage barely registered as a crisis. The explanation shared later was straightforward. Dean was not deeply attached to material possessions, and he owned multiple Blackhawks.
Stutz produced Blackhawks in small numbers, and surviving models today often sell for high six-figure prices depending on history and condition. Damaging one even in the 1970s would have meant a massive repair bill.
There has never been credible evidence linking alcohol to the crash. Despite Dean’s public image as a heavy drinker, family members, including his daughter Deana Martin, have said much of that image was part of stage performance. Offstage, he reportedly drank lightly and sometimes substituted non-alcoholic drinks entirely.