Nick Carraway mentions that Jay Gatsby has an expensive, flashy car in the novel and rides along with him into New York City in chapter 4. Gatsby's Rolls-Royce is a rich cream color that is bright with nickel and extremely long. Nick mentions that there are numerous hatboxes, supper-boxes, and tool-boxes throughout the car and comments on the car's "labyrinth" of windshields, which give the impression that a "dozen suns" are shining down on it. The cream-colored Rolls-Royce also has a green leather interior, which symbolically represents Gatsby's money and wealth. Towards the end of the novel, Gatsby allows Daisy to drive his car home from the city and she accidentally hits Myrtle Wilson, who mistakes the driver for Tom Buchanan and carelessly runs out into the road. Following the accident, eye-witnesses describe Gatsby's Rolls-Royce as being yellow, which symbolically represents luxury, gold, and Gatsby's pursuit of wealth.

The most complete description of Gatsby's car is in chapter four.  Gatsby drives to Nick's house to pick him up for lunch in Manhattan.  The car has a "three-noted horn" that Gatsby sounds as he arrives.  Gatsby's car is a creamy yellow standard-shift Rolls Royce convertible with a green leather interior, and Nick describes it as extraordinarily long, with all sorts of compartments for "hat-boxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes" and nickel trim.  On weekends, Gatsby uses the car to bring people to and from the city for his house parties.

Gatsby's Rolls Royce is very showy in contrast to Tom Buchanan's conservative blue coupe. Tom disdains Gatsby's car by calling it a "circus wagon" in chapter eight, though he does insist on driving it to Manhattan despite Gatsby's protest.