Memory Lane: Bill Cosby Remembers Driving a Ferrari in Vegas

Bill Cosby is in Vegas to perform Friday at Treasure Island, and he will appear there again on July 18.

He recently told me about “one of the greatest moments” he had here in 1964, when Bill Harrah (of Harrah’s) sent Cosby a red convertible Cadillac.

Cosby was appreciative — he was a fan of Bill Harrah —but Cosby said to a hotel executive:

“You know, there’s a stereotype about black people and Cadillacs, and especially the red Cadillac convertible, and I’m driving up the street, and I’m the only black person in town. Can you send me another car?”

So what did Harrah replace the Caddie with?

“Bill Harrah sent a Ferrari 2+2,” Cosby said. “And it was red, and I did not turn that car back in.”

So then, Cosby and his wife rode in the pretty Ferrari over to Harrah’s on his opening night.

“And I pull into valet parking, and one of these Volkswagen buses with the flowers and all this stuff on it was backing up, and the guy had no mirror to see, and I couldn’t find the horn.

“I mashed everything except my wife’s face hoping to hit a horn. And this guy went ‘clunk,’ and he bent the bumper ever so.”

Cosby remembers that Ferrari being advertised for $17,000, a lot of money back then.

“And I’m going, ‘$17,000.’ I think I was making $7,500,” Cosby said. “I said (to a Harrah’s executive), ‘You better come get this car.’ He came and got the car — and sent another one!”