Besides his signature black turtleneck, New Balance sneakers, and blue jeans, Steve Jobs was known for his silver Mercedes SL55 AMG. What was perhaps most interesting about the car was the fact that it never had a license plate. The Mercedes was photographed many times over the years, but the car was always plate-free. How did he do it? Simple: he never let his car get old enough to require one. Jobs spotted a loophole in the California vehicle laws. Anyone with a brand new car had a maximum of six months to affix the issued license plate to the vehicle. So, Jobs made an arrangement with the leasing company that would give him a new car every six months, exchanging one silver Mercedes SL55 AMG for another identical one. At no time would he ever be in a car older than six months, and thus, there was no legal requirement to have the license plate affixed to the car. One might also assume that the leasing company was thrilled, as they had an endless supply of luxury cars to on-sell with the previous driver being none other than Steve Jobs. That would be a win-win-win situation: a win for Steve, a win for the leasing company, and a win for the subsequent buyer. Genius!
