Cameron Diaz is the epitome of 90s relic car culture thanks to her first cars

Cameron Diaz gave us some of the most iconic movies of the ‘90s.

But off-screen, her garage was a time capsule of the era, too.

From nimble imports to boxy luxury sedans, these rides chart the rise of a Hollywood star.

And each one tells its own story about the decade’s car culture.

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So what cars defined the ’90s for Cameron Diaz?

Her first taste of freedom came behind the wheel of a Geo Storm – GM’s short-lived sport coupe built with Isuzu. 

It wasn’t a blockbuster car, but with its rev-happy four-cylinder and lightweight build, it felt quick enough to a young Diaz who’d just graduated from family hand-me-downs like her mom’s VW Bus and sister’s Bug.

From there, she headed to Japan to chase modeling gigs, and her budget stretched to a no-frills Datsun. 

It had a manual gearbox, no air-conditioning, and no cassette deck – just a bare-bones ride that kept her moving. 

It all changed for Diaz when Hollywood flipped the script. 

In 1994, The Mask dropped Diaz straight into the spotlight, and her first big splurge was a Mercedes C280 – her first real ‘movie star’ car.

Compact but classy, the C-Class offered 194hp and that understated German luxury vibe that landed miles away from that first little Geo. 

Then came her racing phase. 

In 1995, Diaz suited up for the Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro, wrangling a bright yellow Celica through city streets lined with cheering fans. 

She didn’t take the checkered flag, but the moment cemented her place in the thick of ‘90s car culture.

A time when lightweight Japanese coupes were the dream of every kid with a tuner magazine.

1990s car culture explained

Look back at Diaz’s garage and you see the decade itself. 

The Geo Storm, Toyota Celica, and the Datsun all belong to the same wave of small, sporty, affordable cars that defined a generation. 

Light on frills, heavy on attitude. 

On the other end, Mercedes was reshaping the idea of accessible luxury. 

The C280 carried enough weight to signal you’d arrived. 

For Diaz, fresh off her breakout role, it was proof she had. 

For the rest of the ‘90s, the C-Class became a staple in Hollywood driveways and corporate parking lots alike.

Taken together, her cars map out the split personality of the era: JDM grit on one side, Euro polish on the other. 

Both were equally influential and remain cult favorites with collectors and fans who swear the ‘90s produced the coolest cars of all time.

Cameron Diaz didn’t just star in ‘90s classics; she drove them, too.

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