Complete List Of The Cars Band Members

Feature Photo: swimfinfan, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This Complete List Of The Cars Band Members looks at the remarkably consistent lineup of The Cars. Formed in Boston in 1976, the band released six studio albums during its original run and never changed its five-member lineup before breaking up in 1988. Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and David Robinson remained together from the debut album The Cars in 1978 through Door to Door in 1987.

The Cars reunited without Benjamin Orr for the 2011 album Move Like This, released twenty-four years after Door to Door. Orr had died in 2000, leaving Ocasek, Easton, Hawkes, and Robinson to make the reunion album as a four-piece. Those five original musicians make up the complete list of official Cars band members.

This list does not include the members of The New Cars, a separate band formed in 2005 by original Cars members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes with Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, and Prairie Prince. The New Cars toured from 2006 into 2007 and released the 2006 album It’s Alive!, which combined live performances with three new studio tracks. That project is separate from the official Cars lineup covered here.

Ric Ocasek

Ric Ocasek was a founding member of The Cars, serving as rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist, and the band’s principal songwriter from its formation in 1976 through its initial breakup in 1988. Ocasek’s distinctive voice, unconventional lyrics, and precise pop instincts were central to the band’s identity on albums including The Cars (1978), Candy-O (1979), Panorama (1980), Shake It Up (1981), Heartbeat City (1984), and Door to Door (1987).

After The Cars broke up, Ocasek continued his solo career and became a highly respected producer, working with artists including Weezer, Bad Brains, Guided by Voices, and No Doubt. He reunited with The Cars for the 2011 album Move Like This and the tour that followed. Ocasek also joined Easton, Hawkes, and Robinson when The Cars were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. He died in 2019.

Benjamin Orr

Benjamin Orr was a co-founder of The Cars, playing bass guitar and sharing lead vocals with Ric Ocasek. Orr’s tenure with the band spanned from its formation in 1976 until the original lineup broke up in 1988. His smooth, distinctive voice can be heard on some of The Cars’ most enduring recordings, including “Just What I Needed,” “Let’s Go,” “Moving in Stereo,” and “Drive.”

Orr released the solo album The Lace in 1986, which included the hit single “Stay the Night.” After The Cars disbanded, he continued performing in various projects and occasionally appeared with former bandmates. Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 at the age of 53, making a complete reunion of the original five-member lineup impossible.

Elliot Easton

Elliot Easton was the lead guitarist for The Cars from the band’s formation in 1976 through its breakup in 1988. His compact, melodic guitar solos became one of the group’s trademarks, adding a sharp rock edge to the keyboards, vocals, and tightly arranged songs. Easton played on all six studio albums made by the original lineup.

After The Cars disbanded, Easton pursued solo work and participated in numerous musical projects, including Creedence Clearwater Revisited. He later joined Greg Hawkes in The New Cars before reuniting with Ocasek, Hawkes, and Robinson for Move Like This in 2011. Easton also performed with The Cars at their 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Greg Hawkes

Greg Hawkes played keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, saxophone, and other instruments for The Cars. A member of the band from its formation in 1976, Hawkes was crucial to the group’s fusion of guitar rock and new wave electronics. His inventive keyboard and synthesizer textures became increasingly important as The Cars moved into the 1980s, particularly on albums such as Shake It Up and Heartbeat City.

After the original band split, Hawkes worked on solo recordings and numerous collaborations. He and Elliot Easton later became the two original Cars members in The New Cars. Hawkes returned for the official Cars reunion and played keyboards, guitar, bass, and backing vocals on Move Like This. He also performed with the group at its 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

David Robinson

David Robinson was the drummer for The Cars from the band’s formation in 1976 through its 1988 breakup and returned for the 2011 reunion. Before joining The Cars, Robinson had played with Jonathan Richman’s Modern Lovers. His restrained, precise drumming gave The Cars a solid rhythmic foundation that fit perfectly with the band’s tightly constructed arrangements.

Robinson also played a major role in The Cars’ visual identity. He contributed to the band’s artwork, image, stage presentation, and album-cover concepts, helping establish the cool, modern look that accompanied its music. Robinson returned to the studio for Move Like This and joined Ocasek, Easton, and Hawkes for the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Special Consideration: Jacknife Lee

Jacknife Lee was not an official member of The Cars. He was an additional musician and co-producer on the band’s 2011 reunion album Move Like This. Lee played bass and guitar on the record and produced several of its tracks. Greg Hawkes also played bass on the album and handled bass parts during the reunion tour, so Lee should be credited as an important contributor to Move Like This rather than as a Cars band member.

The Cars were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, with the Hall recognizing Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and David Robinson as the members of the inducted band. Ocasek died the following year. More recently, Hawkes, Easton, and Robinson have worked on previously unreleased recordings built around demos left by Ocasek, continuing to explore material from The Cars’ archive.

Updated August 8, 2026.