The Steeple Times

Tag: Mercedes-Benz

  • Elvis & Epstein’s ‘Dictator Car’

    Elvis & Epstein’s ‘Dictator Car’

    1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction

    ‘Taking Care of Business’ was said to be “Elvis Presley’s business motto and working philosophy.” Now, someone with deep pockets can buy the ‘King’s’ 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan emblazoned with ‘TCB’ on its side that is being auctioned for charity this December.

     

    Said to be one of over 200 cars that the Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock singer owned and mostly gave away as gifts, the short-wheelbase limousine was purchased by him on 14th December 1970 at Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard for $15,000 (or the equivalent of £75,300, $100,600, €82,900 or درهم369,500 today).

     

    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    Elvis and Priscilla Presley in the car.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    And pictured standing next to it.

    Presley reportedly used the 6.3-litre engine vehicle until the mid-1970s and then gave it to his vocalist friend Jimmy Velvet – who was later to become the operator of an Elvis memorabilia museum. Later sold on to the CEO of Dollar General and “refreshed” in the 1990s, a businessman turned philanthropist named Gene Epstein bought the ‘Dictator Car’ in 2002 after seeing it at the Amelia Island Concours.

     

    Finished in silver and featuring a black leather with dark grey carpets and ‘zebrawood accents’ interior, the automatic car has privacy curtains, separate front and rear heating and air conditioning controls and a refrigerated console between the front seats. It has covered 60,500 miles and is being promoted as being in need of a new owner “with a big enough personality to pull it off.”

     

    Of why he is selling the limousine – which comes with an array of Elvis Presley related memorabilia and paperwork – Gene Epstein (whom has no known connection to the late monster Jeffrey Epstein) commented:

     

    “We feel that after owning and enjoying ‘Elvis’ for nearly 20 years it is time to say goodbye for the better need. Especially since Covid has shut down just about every event that we have planned.”

     

    “Giving this car to our charity was a major decision that I’ve been advised against by my accountant who simply looks at the bottom line after taxes. I know that I exceed any tax benefit but how in the world can any of us enjoy life while seeing other people suffering?”

     

    “The lightning bolt on Elvis is TCB could very well have been on mine. There’s not enough time in the day to do the best for everybody every day but we have to keep trying.”

     

    “Elvis’s Mercedes is one hell of an automobile. And fun to drive… I hope it brings a world record price.”

     

    In September 2019, a 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan The Steeple Times featured that had belonged to Nubar Gulbenkian sold for £310,900 ($415,000, €342,500 or درهم1.5 million). That car admittedly was undoubtedly a one-off in that its eccentric owner had changed the rear seats to a double bed and added a full glass roof, but by comparison the current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800) on the ex-Elvis ‘ride’ makes it seem cheap at a sum 48.4% lower.

     

    Bring A Trailer’s online auction for this It’s Now or Never of a limousine concludes on the 18th December.

     

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    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    The black leather to the rear passenger seating is original yet in good condition.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    There is some wear and tear to the front seating, however.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    The car is emblazoned with ‘TCB’ on its front doors and also comes with an example of Elvis Presley’s ‘TCB’ stationery and some shot glasses marked ‘TCB’ also.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    Amongst other memorabilia with the car are original documents, cuttings and an Elvis Presley bust.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    The original bill of sale from Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    From the front.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    And from the rear.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=rYCxTiEdvoc&feature=emb_logo
    A video of the car to be offered.
    The car to be sold arriving at Gene Epstein’s 75th birthday party in July 2014.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex0XUS6ppas
    Another Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan owned by Elvis Presley was sold by Bonhams in December 2010 in the UK.
    Elvis Presley originally recorded ‘Long Black Limousine’ in January 1969.

  • Firing Up A 20th Century Limo

    Firing Up A 20th Century Limo

    ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the rammed full of gadgets limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even

    Whilst a 1967 Mercedes-Benz ‘Dictator Car we featured in April eventually sold for £237,000 ($298,000, €264,000 or درهم1.1 million), a lover of limousines with far shallower pockets might care to bid on a Japanese example that is headed to auction this month.

     

    Though the word “limousine” originally derived from the “type of carriage hood that physically resembled the cloak worn by shepherds in the Limousin region of France,” this automotive category is now sadly more generally associated with that especially ghastly, much over-used adjective “luxury.”

     

    Limousines are not only considered the preserve of the aforementioned despots, but they’re also the favoured modes of conveyance of business titans, young Arabic and Russian showoffs and rappers now even. A well-known reader of ours even once stated she’d like to have several herself. This friend of royalty added that a collection of security guards running alongside with torches also would complete her ideal spectacle.

     

    Coming in the form of a four-seat, stretched saloon car, the 1994 Toyota Century to be offered was imported to the UK by Mohamad Issa in 2019. It is longer than a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but slightly shorter than a Maybach at 19-feet in length, is presented in black with a black leather interior and was fully serviced in Japan prior to being shipped. The odometer reads 34,500 miles.

     

    Historics Auctioneers will sell the 1994 Toyota Century limousine at their Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July. They have set an estimate of just £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) and describe the car as being: “A stunning example of a rare car even in Japan, this is a real collector’s car that is a sign of wealth and power for the price of a new Ford Fiesta!”

     

    Featured earlier this year in a 19-minute video by two vloggers named Ben and Alfie of a YouTube channel named The Department of Motoring Affairs, of this particular Century they surmised: “People are surprised that this is a Toyota… If you don’t get it by now you don’t belong in the club anyway… If you know, you know” and indeed they’re right: Here is a quirky limousine that you could only originally have had if the Japanese ‘powers that be’ allowed you.

     

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    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    The passenger “compartment” is described as “richly appointed” and includes not only “soft and supple” heated power, leather seats with variable speed massage functions, but also gadgets galore. Most importantly for the notoriously shy Japanese market, the compartment has all-round curtains as well as an electric privacy partition to separate it from the driver’s compartment (with an intercom communications system).
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    There is a cordless 1990s mobile telephone, a television (described as “working but TV to Japanese specification”) with a VHS player, as well as a tape deck built into the rear centre armrest that even has an in-built recording device. A mini fridge also has a heating function for hot food and there is a cabinet containing crystal glasses and a decanter even.
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    A desk can fold out for a mogul who wishes to work whilst on-the-road inside their Toyota Century limousine. It is made of mahogany and for those that wish to ‘drink-and-ride’ there are mahogany glass holders as well.
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    The chauffeur also gets to sit in luxury (unlike in many other limousines). Whilst in original limousines, the chauffeur’s compartment was open, here they get not only a roof, but a leather seat also.
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    Technology is the order of the day given this Toyota Century limousine was manufactured in Japan. The car has automatic transmission, cruise control and a fully functional digital dash.
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    The soft-closing boot contains the original tyre and jacking equipment.
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    The engine is a Lexus 4-litre 5V-EU V8. Of it, Historics Auctioneers remark: “We are informed by the vendor that [it] starts well and pulls strong with the temperature gauge reading a little below half and the automatic transmission shifts are firm and smooth.”
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    From the front; this Toyota Century stretched saloon is described as “clean and straight, the chrome trim and bumpers are all intact and gleaming.”
    A 20th Century Limo – £13,000 to £17,000 ($16,300 to $21,300, €14,500 to €18,900 or درهم59,900 to درهم78,300) for 1994 Toyota Century limousine at Historics Auctioneers Windsorview Lakes sale on 18th July 2020 – ‘Stretched’ 1994 Toyota Century for sale for less than the price of a brand new Ford Fiesta; the limousine comes with a food heating compartment and privacy curtains favoured by notoriously shy Japanese people even.
    And from the rear; here is a car that Historics Auctioneers laud as having a look “denoting conservative success.”
    Historics Auctioneers have produced a video tour of the vehicle to market it to potential purchasers during the coronavirus lockdown.
    The 1994 Toyota Century limousine to be auctioned featured in an amusing 19-minute long YouTube video in March this year by vlogger Alfred Munkenbeck and his co-host Ben (surname unknown). They plainly loved the vehicle.
  • Speedy Stirling

    Speedy Stirling

    Matthew Steeples remembers the motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, “the greatest driver never to have won the world championship”

    Mille Miglia-winning Sir Stirling Moss, whose death at the age of 90 was announced this morning, remarkably survived falling down the lift shaft of his Mayfair home in 2010. He also kept road traffic policemen in punchlines with the infamous and much quoted: “Who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?”

     

    Resilient and witty to the end, Sir Stirling himself famously came out with quips such as: “If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?” and “There are two things no man will admit he cannot do well: drive and make love.” When he got banned from driving in 1960, he took it with good spirit and reportedly even bravely allowed the late, great Marisa Masters – a lady certainly not known for her driving skills – to ferry him around. She often recounted how she “taught him about speed” as she motored round with him and a bottle of sambuca (to keep her going).

     

    Sir Stirling hit “third time lucky” in marrying the loveliest of ladies, Susie Paine, in 1980 and together they had a son, Elliot. Even after taking ill with a serious chest infection in 2016 and subsequently retiring from public life, he remained jovial and as this British sporting legend motors off into the sky, I join those saluting this king of the fast lane.

     

    Pictured top: Sir Stirling and Lady Moss.

     

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  • A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc

    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc

    1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ limousine owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense

    Félix Houphouët-Boigny (whom claimed to be born in 1908, but was more likely born in 1905, and died in 1993) was known variously as ‘Papa Houphouët’ (‘The Old One’), the ‘Sage of Africa,’ the ‘Farmer President’ and the ‘Grand Old Man of Africa.’ Westerners, more simply called him: ‘HB.’

     

    The first President of Ivory Coast and ruler from 1960 to 1963 was considered “politically moderate” and under him the country “prospered economically.” His tenure was referred to as the “Ivorian miracle” and with growth, this larger-than-life leader moved the capital from Abidjan to his hometown, Yamoussoukro, in 1983. There he built not only an international airport, but also, at an extraordinary cost of the equivalent of £629 million ($780 million, €713 million or درهم2.9 billion) today, the largest church in the world, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro.

     

    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    “Well-loved first President of Ivory Coast” Félix Houphouët-Boigny (1905 or 1908 – 1993).
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    Félix Houphouët-Boigny travelling in one of his Mercedes-Benz ‘Dictator Cars’.

    Aside from the usual ‘perks’ purchased by leaders of his time – including homes in France, Italy and Switzerland – Houphouët-Boigny was known for his love of shiny metals. In 1983, he declared: “People are surprised that I like gold. It’s just that I was born in it.” With his ‘Françafrique-style’ of diplomacy, Houphouët-Boigny liked to travel in style also and now one of his fleet of cars is to be sold at auction in June.

     

    The car to be offered by RM Sotheby’s is a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman with six-doors. It is one of five delivered to Ivory Coast at that time, unusually has no door handles on its middle doors and is fitted with air conditioning and an intercom also. Presented in its original colour combination of black lacquer with a natural coloured leather interior and brown carpets, the car left Africa after the death of Houphouët-Boigny in 1993. It was then exported to Germany and in the time since has been subject to restorative work costing some £88,000 ($109,000, €100,000 or درهم401,000) in 1994 and between 2013 and 2014 also. The auctioneers note that “the car is equipped with a replacement engine of the right type and that a second engine of the right type comes with the purchase.”

     

    Twice married Houphouët-Boigny was said to be worth somewhere between the staggering sums of £5.7 billion and £8.9 billion ($7 billion and $11 billion, €6.4 billion and €10 billion or درهم25.7 billion and درهم40.4 billion) on his death. His funeral was attended by 7,000 people and subsequently Ivory Coast’s economy declined rapidly. A religiously grounded civil war followed and still today, what was previously a prosperous land remains “severely damaged.”

     

    RM Sotheby’s will sell the ex-Félix Houphouët-Boigny Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman at their Essen sale on behalf of its current owner, Dr Urich Speicher. The event runs from 24th to 27th June and an estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.

     

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    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
    A Grand Old Man’s Grand Old Merc – President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – 1967 Mercedes ‘Dictator Car’ owned until 1993 by the first President of Ivory Coast to be auctioned after being restored at vast expense – 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their 24th to 27th June 2020 sale in Essen, Germany on behalf of current owner Dr Urich Speicher. An estimate of £220,000 to £247,000 ($273,000 to $306,000, €250,000 to €280,000 or درهم1 million to درهم1.1 million) has been set.
  • Lustful Lizzie Replaces Gruesome Ghislaine

    Lustful Lizzie Replaces Gruesome Ghislaine

    With paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell still missing, knicker flasher Lizzie Cundy steps into the breach in the forthcoming Cash & Rocket rally

    Last year, prior to disappearing in the wake of the death of her personal cash point, the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the shameless disgrace that is Ghislaine Maxwell joined the likes of Chloe Green, Paris Hilton, Caroline Stanbury for the Cash & Rocket London to Monte Carlo ‘charity’ car race.

     

    Now, with ‘Bouncing Bob’s’ tawdry daughter in hiding at an unknown location, it seems unlikely that she’ll be partaking in the all-women event that this year runs from Barcelona to Florence from the 4th to the 7th June. Instead, in the most recent edition of the Mail on Sunday, it was revealed that one of the replacements for the alleged madam will be the “jilted friend of the former Meghan Markle” and lover of “noisy secret sex” with rugby player Danny Cipriani, Lizzie Cundy.

     

    Pictured struggling to plug in an electric charger to an adapted Mercedes-Benz Pagoda in plainly staged images, publicity desperado and renowned “knicker flasher” Cundy – whom also claims to have links to Epstein’s non-sweating pal Prince Andrew via her “pal,” Sarah, Duchess of York – “[didn’t] do casual when it comes to style” according to the paper. An image, captioned, “Lizzie avoided flashing her underwear as she carefully climbed out of the vehicle,” followed and another showed this ex-WAG “[sporting] a glamorous bouncy blow.”

     

    Sadly, Cundy’s best pal Anthea Turner won’t be “swinging into action” to join her on the road. Instead, someone called Joy Desmond will take her place and thus there’ll be no Cadbury’s Flakes in the glovebox. Now there’s a missed photo opportunity.

     

    Some quotes from MailOnline readers about Cundy’s (latest) publicity stunt:

     

    “Wow, not staged at all.”

     

    “Shouldn’t all over 70s be self-isolating?”

     

    “Looks like that Jenner bloke.”

     

    “She should be careful she doesn’t get attacked wearing a dress that looks like a toilet roll holder.”

     

    “I never used to like this woman, but she’s grown on me likes a wart or a boil.”

     

    “All she needs is a red bulb above her head. Tragic.”

     

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  • Change From £100k

    Change From £100k

    New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020

    If you dashed over to this year’s London Classic Car Show (LCCS) at Olympia, you may soon be planning to sell-up your everyday new car, to snap up a new-old motor for weekend cruising instead. Those who do so, succumb to full-on sensory satisfaction. Throw caution to the wind about the hazards of our congested London-town, secure garaging, and knowing when your car attains hallowed historic status. Your newly acquired chrome-y classic soon becomes an all-consuming passion.

     

    From the £70 million worth of kaleidoscopic-coloured classic, vintage, prototype and magnificent marques at the LCCS, here’s The Steeple Times’ hotlist of top five pin-ups. They promise retro allure rather than just tarmac-burning brawn, as you glide up alongside your fellow road sharers at the lights. This is just your starters for inspiration.

     

    Change From £100k – London Classic Car Show 2020 – New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020.

    No. 1 – 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

    This Benz oozes a rogue-ish riviera chic. It is a somewhat understated evolution of the futuristic 300 SL gullwing. When launched in 1957 it was one of the most audacious and thrilling sports rides to be seen on the open road. This 1959 model from Hemmels is claimed to be the first ever sold to the UK and has clocked up only 36,000 miles. Expect these examples to be a desirable £1million+ buy.

     

    Change From £100k – London Classic Car Show 2020 – New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020.

    No. 2 – 1933 MG J2

    Here is a flawless red pre-World War II MG that assures you are owning a slice of genuine history. Its story is detailed by previous owners, and it is listed in a host of publications and owner’s club articles. Sit inside and you immediately connect with the streamlined design.  It was clearly built to wrap round a gentleman driver (most MG drivers were back then). Dealer Graeme Hunt uses all its cars for sale to keep them running smoothly and offers this MG for £57,500.

     

    Change From £100k – London Classic Car Show 2020 – New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020.

    No. 3 – 1954 Jaguar XK120

    This immaculately restored cat belongs to man of style David Gandy.  It’s been subject to 2,700 man-hours of rebuild to deliver a superlative road racer – and its story was a feature of the LCCS. Its 3.4-litre inline six-cylinder XK engine cuts it at 225bhp. Marvel at new interior design finishes commissioned by the owner. The modish patina of warm tobacco leather contrasts with the tough impenetrable black shell.

     

    Recently, a Ferrari 250 GTO gained the status of the highest priced vehicle ever sold at auction for £37.5m.  But if we’re setting our Steeple Times budget at a more modest £100K, then we’d choose to drive away the pair of sleek ’60 two-seaters that follow below in the forthcoming Coys auction sale at the LCCS.

     

    Change From £100k – London Classic Car Show 2020 – New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020.

    No. 4 – 1965 Lancia Flaminia 3C GTL, estimate £70K – £90K

    Dramatically sleek yet solid, this Lancia has a 2.8-litre V6 engine fed by triple twin-choke Weber carburettors to deliver over 150bhp.  Drool over its distinctive Superleggera body [a build system which helps enable this innovative aluminium body shape]. Being fashioned slightly longer and 7cm taller than the GT model, means a more commanding ride. Only 300 were built. Consider these Lancias a snip alongside similar Astons and Maseratis.

     

    Change From £100k – London Classic Car Show 2020 – New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020.

    No. 5 – 1963 Hillman Superminx Convertible, estimate £10K –£12K

    This friendly-faced retro-mobile claims just one owner from 1963 until 2017, as a company car for the HR manager at Harrods – there’s a clue in the Harrodian Car Club badge it bears. Today it’s all style and restraint. Back then, this more pumped out Superminx convertible was ritzy one-upmanship over the standard Minx on the neighbour’s drive.

     

    Change From £100k – London Classic Car Show 2020 – New contributor and classic cars enthusiast Theodora Ong covets roadsters with wings, curves and chrome at the London Classic Car Show 2020.

    And what would we do with our change from £100K? 

    Splash out on luxe accessories. We’re eyeing up some British ’20s silver hip flasks across town at the Pullman Gallery. One is crafted in the shape of a car radiator; another like a mini petrol can. That’s for your destination drinking of course.

     

    The London Classic Car Show at Olympia 20th to 23rd February 2020.

     

    Missed it?  Then diary these, coming up:

     

    Historics Auctioneers sale – 7th March 2020 at Ascot Racecourse.

     

    Coys auction sale – 25th April 2020 at Chiswick House.

     

    Duke of London –  Once a month on Sundays, its Classics & Cakes meetings are an ever-dynamic line of surprise classics rolling in.

     

    Theodora Ong is an alcohol and bars consultant. At weekends, she’s often dry so she can retro-cruise around West London.

     

    Photo credits: London Classic Car Show, Coys, Pullman Gallery.

     

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  • A Dictator Rides

    A Dictator Rides

    Superb example of the “world’s ultimate limousine” to be auctioned; the Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman was the favourite of dictators across the globe

     

    Produced from 1963 to 1981 with a run of 2,677 units made, the Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman – also known as the ‘Grosser’ or ‘Grand Mercedes’ – is undoubtedly a star amongst cars.

     

    With owners having included politicians such as Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (who had four) and Robert Mugabe and personalities including Coco Chanel and Elvis Presley, these high-end king of sedans has not only presence but also provide a smooth and quiet ride and extreme levels of comfort.

                                      

    Later this month in California, a fine example of such a car will be sold at auction. Presented in dark blue (which is rare given most ‘Grossers’s’ are in black) with red leather, the 1969 Pullman offered has a 6,332-cc overhead-cam V8 engine and has been subject to a comprehensive renovation since being purchased by its current owner in 2005.

     

    An estimate of £157,000 to £196,000 ($200,000 to $250,000, €176,000 to €220,000 or درهم735,000 to درهم918,000) has been set for the vehicle. It will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Peterson Automotive Museum auction on 8th December and seems like a veritable bargain given that Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito’s ‘Grosser’ sold for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.7 million) in 2017.

     

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    A Dictator Rides – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Four-Door Pullman – To be auctioned with an estimate of of £157,000 to £196,000 ($200,000 to $250,000, €176,000 to €220,000 or درهم735,000 to درهم918,000) and will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Peterson Automotive Museum auction on 8th December. A Dictator Rides – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Four-Door Pullman – To be auctioned with an estimate of of £157,000 to £196,000 ($200,000 to $250,000, €176,000 to €220,000 or درهم735,000 to درهم918,000) and will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Peterson Automotive Museum auction on 8th December. A Dictator Rides – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Four-Door Pullman – To be auctioned with an estimate of of £157,000 to £196,000 ($200,000 to $250,000, €176,000 to €220,000 or درهم735,000 to درهم918,000) and will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Peterson Automotive Museum auction on 8th December. A Dictator Rides – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Four-Door Pullman – To be auctioned with an estimate of of £157,000 to £196,000 ($200,000 to $250,000, €176,000 to €220,000 or درهم735,000 to درهم918,000) and will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Peterson Automotive Museum auction on 8th December.A Dictator Rides – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Four-Door Pullman – To be auctioned with an estimate of of £157,000 to £196,000 ($200,000 to $250,000, €176,000 to €220,000 or درهم735,000 to درهم918,000) and will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Peterson Automotive Museum auction on 8th December.

  • A Mammoth Merc

    A Mammoth Merc

    Limousine, convertible and off-roader combined created by Mercedes-Maybach to be sold for charity

    One of just ninety-nine examples made, a brand new Mercedes-Maybach G650 V12 landaulet is to be auctioned in October.

     

    Offered to benefit the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and given by Daimler AG, the 17.5-foot long, four-seater vehicle is intended as a “unique combination of luxurious chauffeur-driven limousine and off-roader” and features a glass partition to separate the driver and their passengers. It has an electric fabric top, electric side-steps, electrically adjustable rear seats with a massage function, leather tables large enough for laptops and two 10-inch high resolution media display units.

    Of the 6-litre car, Gunnar Güthenke, manager of Mercedes-Benz G GmbH, commented:

    “Today fascination with the G-Class is more prevalent than ever. It is a sought-after vehicle as it is forever reinventing itself – and yet remains true to its origins. It was and always will be unmistakably a G-Class, while at the same time offering plenty of opportunities for individual wishes. Our exclusive Landaulet model is the best example of this.”

     

    Bonhams will sell the car with no reserve at their Zoute Sale in Knokke-Heist, Belgium on 6th October.

    Update: Sold for £1.1 million ($1.4 million, €1.2 million or درهم5.3 million)

     A Mammoth Merc – 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 V12 landaulet – Limousine, convertible and off-roader combined created by Mercedes-Maybach to be sold for charity by Bonhams on 16th October 2017 at their Zoute Sale in Knokke-Heist, Belgium. A Mammoth Merc – 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 V12 landaulet – Limousine, convertible and off-roader combined created by Mercedes-Maybach to be sold for charity by Bonhams on 16th October 2017 at their Zoute Sale in Knokke-Heist, Belgium. A Mammoth Merc – 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 V12 landaulet – Limousine, convertible and off-roader combined created by Mercedes-Maybach to be sold for charity by Bonhams on 16th October 2017 at their Zoute Sale in Knokke-Heist, Belgium.A Mammoth Merc – 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 V12 landaulet – Limousine, convertible and off-roader combined created by Mercedes-Maybach to be sold for charity by Bonhams on 16th October 2017 at their Zoute Sale in Knokke-Heist, Belgium.

  • A Con and A Cabriolet

    A Con and A Cabriolet

    One-off 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI cabriolet to be auctioned; originally commissioned by a British playboy turned jailbird with connections to Princess Margaret but only actually completed in 1993

     

    A 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet with bodywork by the renowned Italian automotive stylist Frua is to be auctioned this month.

     

    Offered with an estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million), this truly unique, one-of-one design was amazingly the final Rolls-Royce Phantom VI completed in spite of the model remaining in production until 1991. This mammoth beast of a car, surprisingly, however, has just 72 miles on its clock and is thus described as “as brand new.”

     

    The car’s first owner, Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson, was a bit of a playboy but sadly he never got to actually drive or be driven in it. A “member of Princess Margaret’s inner circle of friends,” this Cambridge graduate was a member of the “Mayfair mammas’ lists of the season’s most eligible bachelors” until “exchanging his Edwardian hacking jacket for prison grey” in 1954 after being jailed for 12 months for an import/export fraud according to a report in Sydney’s World’s News in August that year.

     

    Some years after being freed, ex-con Buchanan-Michaelson took part in the 10,000 mile 1968 London to Sydney Marathon in a Mercedes-Benz 280SE. In a book about the adventure he was described as both a “successful and wealthy businessman, employing a cook, a butler, a maid and a chauffeur” and as an “accomplished sportsman.” Also listed as a lavish spender, Buchannan-Michaelson was later bankrupted in November 1977 – though at the time he lived in grandeur at both at Churchbury Manor at Fairford, Gloucestershire and 26 The Vale, in Chelsea, London, SW3.

     

    In 1970, in the period between the international car race and his bankruptcy, Buchanan-Michaelson commissioned Rolls-Royce to build him a Phantom VI. After delivery to Jack Barclay Ltd. In June 1971, the vehicle’s chassis was sent to Frua of Torino, Italy to have bodywork fitted but for some reason work stopped and it was not until 1977 – and by now with a new American owner, James Leake, and new drawings of its eventual form – that the project continued.

     

    With Pietro Frua (1913 – 1983) retiring soon thereafter and Mr Leake’s death in 1983, the chassis passed to new ownership and it was only eventually completed as a finished motor vehicle in 1993.

     

    That year, the four-door ‘state cabriolet’ was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show and its boxy look must have surely either have wowed or horrified visitors. It is described as having “an elaborate multi-position convertible top allows the car to be configured as a sedanca de ville, landaulet or fully open convertible.” The interior is trimmed in burled walnut with sterling silver inlays and amongst other luxuries are front and rear heating, air-conditioning, fresh-air ventilation systems, a television, a video player, a radio and a cocktail cabinet. Underneath the seats is a portable Davidoff cigar humidor and even a matching silk-lined ladies’ vanity case. What more could anyone ever need?

     

    RM Sotheby’s will sell the Frua Phantom VI at their Monterey sale in California on 19th August and term it: “The last word in modern opulence.”

     

    A Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originallyA Con and A Cabriolet – 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet by Pietro Frua – To be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale on Saturday 19th August 2017 – Estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million) – Owned by Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson originally

  • Diana’s Drive

    Diana’s Drive

    Up-armoured Rolls-Royce used by the late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned in Auburn, Indiana

     

    A 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I commissioned by the British Foreign Office as part of the British Embassy vehicle pool in Washington D.C. that was used by Diana, Princess of Wales on two occasions is to be sold with an estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000).

     

    Just as questions about the late royal’s safety in the Mercedes-Benz in which she made her tragic final journey in Paris in 1997 are again raised, the up-armoured car to be offered is to be sold by Auctions America at their 31st August to 3rd September sale in Auburn, Indiana.

     

    The Balmoral Green with tan hide vehicle features laminated polycarbonate in place of glass windows, Kevlar and steel plate in the body, two Motorola mobile telephones and an exterior telecom (as the windows do not roll down). It has 60,300 miles on the clock and also has air conditioning and a working sunroof.

     

    Used first by the then Princess of Wales on 4th October 1990, the car took her first to a Royal Gala to benefit the London City Ballet at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. and then also to a home for HIV positive children, TERRIFIC, Inc.’s Grandma’s House®, in what was termed an “historic visit.”

     

    Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000). Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000).Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000). Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000).Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000). Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000).Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000).Diana’s Drive – Up-armoured ex-British Embassy in Washington 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur I used by late Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned by Auctions America at their Labour Day sale in Auburn, Indiana from 31st August to 3rd September 2017 – Estimate of £35,000 to £42,000 ($45,000 to $55,000, €38,000 to €47,000 or درهم165,000 to درهم202,000).