Long Island Man Purchases Rolls-Royce Corniche for His Father, Only to Discover It's Tupac's.

      Tim Fabrizio, VINwiki/YouTube

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      Timothy Fabrizio, a barn-car enthusiast with a knack for finding vehicles linked to pop culture, embarked on a mission to acquire his father's dream car: a black-on-tan ’90s Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible. These models are quite rare, to the point that Fabrizio ended up purchasing the very one that was previously owned by the iconic West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur. He delved deeply into the cars associated with Death Row Records, uncovering some fascinating stories and visuals.

      Fabrizio is also the individual who took over Nicki Minaj’s Bentley after it was stripped of its pink wrap. It might seem peculiar that he accidentally came into possession of multiple cars that were once owned by famous rappers, but given that only 25 black Corniches with tan interiors are believed to have been produced, he had a fair chance of ending up with such a notable vehicle from hip-hop history if he found one at all!

      He showcased the car on his Instagram last year and recently participated in an interview with VINwiki, where he discussed how he discovered the car's backstory.

      As he recounts, Fabrizio initiated a registry for Corniches while searching for one in the precise colors his father had wished for.

      This led him to uncover that several of those convertible Rollers were obtained by Death Row Records—Suge Knight had a red one, Tupac owned a black-on-tan model, and Snoop Dogg took possession of a white Bentley Azure—which were famously driven from LA to Vegas by these rap legends.

      Notably, Shakur was captured in a classic photo from 1996 by Fabrice Henssens, portraying him driving a black-on-tan Corniche on Melrose Ave in LA.

      Fabrizio desired the vehicle regardless, but once it was in his possession, he dove deep into research, examining sales and lease documents and even reaching out to former Death Row employees to trace this specific Corniche through its ownership timeline.

      By connecting with Reggie Wright Jr., the former head of security at Death Row Records, and the original car broker named Stan, Fabrizio confirmed that the car belonged to a particular multi-car delivery at Nessen Motorcars in March 1996. This was part of the Death Row convoy previously mentioned.

      In contrast to the bullet-damaged BMW in which Shakur met his end, which frequently appears at auction, the Rolls-Royce didn’t gain similar prestige—it was transferred to what Fabrizio describes as “a regular used car dealer” in 2018, eventually ending up in non-running condition with the individual from whom Fabrizio purchased it.

      Thus, it appears that Tupac didn’t directly own the Rolls-Royce; rather, it was leased by the record label. This might explain why it faded into obscurity over time. Nevertheless, the entire narrative is a captivating piece of both rap and automotive culture history.

      The Holy Grail of Hip Hop – Tupac's Rolls Royce is FOUND!

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