Hailing from a family of mechanics, actress Sydney Sweeney is actually a huge gearhead – her best friend’s dad is even the classic Porsche builder Rod Emory.
The 26-year-old collaborated with Ford to design a custom 2024 Mustang GT inspired by her own 1965 car ‘Britney’, and released a workwear line that includes a khaki racing jacket and boiler suit.
Famous for her star turns in Euphoria, The White Lotus and Anyone But You, actress Sydney Sweeney is the quintessential Hollywood “It” girl. But unlike most blonde bombshells in the biz, the 26-year-old spends most of the time she’s not on set getting her hands dirty in the garage.
In fact, many will be surprised to learn that style-maven Sweeney, who has fronted campaigns for the likes of Miu Miu, Armani Beauty and Guess, is an avid car enthusiast who loves to restore classic automobiles such as the 1969 Ford Bronco and 1965 Mustang.
After securing her driving licence, Sweeney first drove a 1994 Land Cruiser, followed by a 1990 Volvo sedan handed down from her grandparents. It was only after Euphoria’s success that she was able to buy herself a 2019 Range Rover Sport, per Vanity Fair. These days, she opts for a bright blue 1965 Mustang, which she calls “Britney”.
“I feel like I am the most me when I’m at the shop,” Sweeney told Hypebeast of her love of getting under the bonnet. In fact, when she’s not in front of the camera, you’ll probably find Sweeney repairing old cars. “When I film Euphoria, I like to have a car in the shop to work on whenever I’m not on set,” she revealed.
How did Sydney Sweeney get into vintage cars?
“I come from a family of mechanics,” Sweeney told Nylon. “It’s in my blood.” If that wasn’t enough motivation, her best friend’s father is the classic Porsche builder Rod Emory, best known for his custom 356s, who she considers “a second dad.” Emory started Emory Motorsports in 1996, which restores and restyles vintage Porsches.
“He cleared out a section of his shop for me,” Sweeney told Vanity Fair. “And whenever I was free, not filming, I would go in and learn and do as much of the work as I could.”
Social media buzz
Sweeney created a dedicated TikTok account to share the progress of her restorations with her family members. Not surprisingly, the “syds_garage” account has since turned into a beast of its own with over 1.8 million followers. “It turned into this cool platform to show girls and anybody else who has passions, no matter what they are, that they can pursue ‘em,” she told Hypebeast.
On the account, Sweeney teaches her followers how to install a fuel pump, how to add power steering and other handy moto hacks.
She bagged a deal with Ford
While restoring her vintage Ford, Sweeney’s passion did not go unnoticed by the brand. In partnership with Ford, she designed a custom 2024 Ford Mustang GT, inspired by her own car Britney, that was won by a lucky fan during an exclusive giveaway in March.
“I’ve pulled a lot of the retro vibes from my own Mustang and put them into this modern 2024 version,” she told Hypebeast. “There are a lot of details that scream ‘Syd.’ I love it.”
Branching into fashion
Sweeney’s custom 2024 Ford Mustang GT was only the beginning of her partnership with the car manufacturer. She also teamed up with Ford and apparel brand Dickies for a range of workwear pieces inspired by the restoration of her 1969 Ford Bronco, which included bib overalls, work pants, a bandana and a baseball cap.
She released a second workwear line, Ford x Sydney Sweeney. Again drawing inspiration from her 1965 Mustang, the capsule collection features subtle nods to the car’s original colour, “Brittany Blue”. The khaki racing jacket, ribbed boiler suit, T-shirt, corduroy hat and keychain are available on the Ford website.
“I love working in the garage and was so excited to partner with Ford on a clothing line that’s comfortable in and out of the shop,” Sweeney said in a statement, per Hypebae.
