The Steeple Times

Tag: Monaco

  • A Cut Cost Château

    A Cut Cost Château

    Vast “fairytale” château in France’s Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £28 million in spite of having had £80 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Madame de Pompadour

    In 2017, a Lebanese-born, Monaco-based property developer named Edmond Baysari placed what selling agents Sotheby’s International Realty describes as the “most beautiful and majestic castle in [the] Loire Valley” on the market. It’s so big and so costly to maintain that it remains for sale still today.

     

    Harvard educated Mr Baysari purchased the 102,257 square foot château for about £4.3 million in 1983 from the Parisian glassmakers Saint-Gorbain. It had been used as their company retreat from 1939 and had earlier belonged to Jeanne Antoinette Poisson – the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to 1751 and a woman better known as ‘Madame de Pompadour’ – in the years prior to her premature death from tuberculosis in 1764 aged just 42.

     

    Providing “regally appointed” accommodation so vast that it is not even described in detail that includes around 50 bedrooms and a wine cellar capable of housing 30,000 bottles amongst other things, Château de Menars – or the ‘Palace Pompadour’ as some have nicknamed it – costs around £800,000 per year to run. In total, some £80 million has been spent renovating it “using the same methods” that the king’s mistress originally employed.

     

    Of why he is selling, the heirless businessman’s lawyer, Jack Anderson, told Reuters in 2017: “[Mr Baysari] realises destiny is going to take him… His goal is to know that it’s in the hands of someone who’s going to continue the beauty of the chateau and maintain it.”

     

    The 104 acres of grounds that surround the château includes vineyards yielding pinot noir grapes, “elegant” geometric grassed lawns and more than a mile of frontage to the River Loire. Classical sculptures and gazebos abound and there is, according to Reuters, “a cobbled courtyard large enough to land a helicopter” also.

     

    During Baysari’s ownership guests at Château de Menars have supposedly numbered Prince Charles, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mick Jagger and President Ronald Reagan. Now, Sotheby’s International Realty point out: “We think this could be perfect for the creation of a luxury hotel complex… Or for the acquisition of an extraordinary and very large private property.”

     

    His “English spoken” [sic] agent, Jean-Pierre Piganiol, seeks £27.6 million and according to Forbes, “several nine-figure offers from Russian and Middle Eastern billionaires looking for a trophy home” have already been turned down.

     

    The Names & Numbers – Château de Menars, Loire Valley, Blois, 41000, France

     

    2015 to date – For sale through Sotheby’s International Realty for sale for £27.6 million ($34.5 million, €31.5 million or درهم126.6 million).

     

    2000 – Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

     

    1983 to 2017 – The sum said to have been spent on restoration of the Château de Menars is said to have been £80.1 million ($100 million, €91.4 million or درهم367.3 million). Annual upkeep costs are said to be £801,000 million ($1 million, €914,000 million or درهم3.7 million).

     

    1983 – Sold to Edmond Baysari for 5 million francs or the equivalent of £4.3 million ($5.4 million, €4.9 million or درهم19.7 million).

     

    1949 – Declared an Historic Monument of France.

     

    1939 – Sold after his death by Mr Allard’s daughters, Blanche Lasserre, Yvonne Arnodin and Jeanne Goirand, to Saint-Gobain, the Parisian glassmakers, for use as their company retreat.

     

    April 1912 – Acquired for 700,050 francs (about £27,400 at that time) by Félix Allard, a “contractor for public works.” He modernised the château and added mains water, hot air heating, gas lighting and electricity and features including a large gallery area.

     

    1760 – Purchased by Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764) for 1 million livres (about £75,000 at that time). She “sold some pearl bracelets to meet the first payment” and commissioned the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to build two new wings on either side of the two existing pavilions on the property. Sadly for her, she never saw it completed as she died from tuberculosis in 1764.

     

    1728 to 1732 – Stanislas Leszcynski (1677 – 1766), the King of Poland, stayed at Château de Menars whilst in exile as a guest of the Charon family.

     

    1669 – Jean-Jacques Charon (1643 – 1718), son of Jacques Charon, “added two unequal wings to the chateau and considerably enlarged the estate.”

     

    1646 – Commencement of the construction of a castle on the site by one Jacques Charon. It “composed of a main building and two symmetrical pavilions.”

     

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    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
    A Cut Cost Château – £27.6m for Château de Menars, 15 Le Château, Loire Valley, Blois, 4100 Menars, France through Sotheby’s International Realty – Vast French château in the Loire Valley for sale for ‘just’ £27.6 million in spite of having had £80.1 million spent already on its renovation; it was most famously owned by Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour (1721 – 1764).
  • An Exceptional Estate

    An Exceptional Estate

    One-of-one 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake by Vanderbrink to be auctioned in Monte Carlo; unlike other Ferrari estates, it’s not from the ownership of Brunei royalty

    One wouldn’t normally associate Ferrari with shooting brakes – combinations of coupés and estate cars – but now, one that symbolises the reverse of Enzo Ferrari’s mantra of “I build engines and attach wheels to them” is going to auction.

     

    As rare as hen’s teeth, with the exceptions being the seven or so built for the Sultan of Brueni and his brother Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the vehicle to be offered by Bonhams will be sold at their ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ sale in Monte Carlo on 8th May.

     

    Whilst little information is supplied on the firm’s website other than to list the 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake with an estimate of £130,000 to £220,000 ($161,000 to $273,000, €146,000 to €247,000 or درهم592,000 to درهم1 million), much more has been written about it elsewhere online.

     

    The car, it transpires, is the brainchild of Amsterdam based Vandenbrink Design. The firm took a 2005 Ferrari 612 and reconfigured it to include what is described by Take to the Road as the “low roof and sleek lines of a coupé.” The magazine argue that it “thus [retains] sporting appeal, whilst adding the practicality of a wagon.”

     

    They enthusiastically continue: “The extended roof line isn’t exaggerated and preserves the distinctive sporting look of the 612 Scaglietti. Plus the addition of the wonderfully sculpted twin roof glass provides rear passengers with enough light to ensure they are not completely cocooned in darkness. The real talking point however is the boot which is cavernous, when compared to traditional Ferrari standards. It is a true all-round practical Ferrari with enough luggage room for extended trips well beyond just ‘weekend bags.’”

     

    Previously listed for sale on Classic Driver, the grey with beige leather interior, left-hand-drive car has covered about 18,000 miles and seats 2+2. In spite of having a “cavernous” boot lined with vast expanses of hide, one won’t likely see this shooting brake on a pheasant shoot or grouse moor any day soon. Instead, it’ll more likely be found in the future parked outside the smartest spots on the Côte d’Azur.

     

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    An Exceptional Estate – £130,000 to £220,000 ($161,000 to $273,000, €146,000 to €247,000 or درهم592,000 to درهم1 million) estimate for 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake at the Bonhams ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ sale in Monte Carlo on 8th May 2020 – One-of-one 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake by Vanderbrink to be auctioned in Monte Carlo; unlike other Ferrari estates, it’s not from the ownership of Brunei royalty.
    An Exceptional Estate – £130,000 to £220,000 ($161,000 to $273,000, €146,000 to €247,000 or درهم592,000 to درهم1 million) estimate for 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake at the Bonhams ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ sale in Monte Carlo on 8th May 2020 – One-of-one 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake by Vanderbrink to be auctioned in Monte Carlo; unlike other Ferrari estates, it’s not from the ownership of Brunei royalty.
    An Exceptional Estate – £130,000 to £220,000 ($161,000 to $273,000, €146,000 to €247,000 or درهم592,000 to درهم1 million) estimate for 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake at the Bonhams ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ sale in Monte Carlo on 8th May 2020 – One-of-one 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake by Vanderbrink to be auctioned in Monte Carlo; unlike other Ferrari estates, it’s not from the ownership of Brunei royalty.
    An Exceptional Estate – £130,000 to £220,000 ($161,000 to $273,000, €146,000 to €247,000 or درهم592,000 to درهم1 million) estimate for 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake at the Bonhams ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ sale in Monte Carlo on 8th May 2020 – One-of-one 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake by Vanderbrink to be auctioned in Monte Carlo; unlike other Ferrari estates, it’s not from the ownership of Brunei royalty.
    An Exceptional Estate – £130,000 to £220,000 ($161,000 to $273,000, €146,000 to €247,000 or درهم592,000 to درهم1 million) estimate for 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake at the Bonhams ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ sale in Monte Carlo on 8th May 2020 – One-of-one 2005 Ferrari 612 shooting brake by Vanderbrink to be auctioned in Monte Carlo; unlike other Ferrari estates, it’s not from the ownership of Brunei royalty.
  • Cash, Rocket and a Madam

    Cash, Rocket and a Madam

    Why won’t the Cash & Rocket ‘charity’ answer a simple question about their past participant, the madam to a paedophile Ghislaine Maxwell?

    Last year, prior to disappearing off the face of the planet in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein-Prince Andrew scandal, Ghislaine Maxwell participated in the Cash & Rocket London-Monte Carlo ‘charity’ car rally in an Alfa Romeo.

     

    Featuring a selection of the vain and the vacuous, amongst them  Chloe Green – daughter of the alleged abuser and “cross between Al Capone and Shylock” Sir Philip Green – and self-declared “hey ho, I can’t help if they think I’m fabulous” Caroline Stanbury, this “marketing platform” founded by Julie Brangstrup meaninglessly claims to “unite us all through female empowerment and solidarity.”

     

    Last week, when Cash & Rocket posted on Instagram about their next rally, we quite reasonably asked: “Will Ghislaine Maxwell be attending?” We received no response and so when they posted about their International Women’s Day lunch, we posed the same again. An answer, no doubt, will be as likely as finding ‘Bouncing Bob’s’ daughter riding Shergar the racehorse off into the sunset with Elvis Presley.

     

    Pictured top: Ghislaine Maxwell and the Alfa Romeo that she co-drove in the 2019 Cash & Rocket rally with Annette Mason, wife of the Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

     

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    Cash, Rocket and a Madam – Why won’t the Cash & Rocket ‘charity’ answer a simple question about their past participant, the madam to a paedophile Ghislaine Maxwell? Will Ghislaine Maxwell be participating this year?
    The Steeple Times asked Cash & Rocket (twice): “Will Ghislaine Maxwell be attending?” of their events in 2020. We have yet to receive any form of response.
    Cash, Rocket and a Madam – Why won’t the Cash & Rocket ‘charity’ answer a simple question about their past participant, the madam to a paedophile Ghislaine Maxwell? Will Ghislaine Maxwell be participating this year?
    Ghislaine Maxwell participated in the 2019 Cash & Rocket London-Monte Carlo rally. The ‘charity’s’ website no longer features mention of ‘Captain Bob’s’ daughter, but previously showed an image of her alongside Annette Mason as entrants. It seems that they raise nothing.
    Cash, Rocket and a Madam – Why won’t the Cash & Rocket ‘charity’ answer a simple question about their past participant, the madam to a paedophile Ghislaine Maxwell? Will Ghislaine Maxwell be participating this year?
    Ghislaine Maxwell was pictured at the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner at the 2019 Cash & Rocket rally launch event. She wore sunglasses to no doubt hide herself. It is one of the last images of her in over a year now.
  • Grubby Green

    Grubby Green

    Sir Philip Green’s downfall is now all but complete; strip him of his knighthood says Matthew Steeples

     

    He used to be known as ‘Sir Shifty’ but now that’s become a title too far. With revelations that ‘Phily G’ has been caught – and there’s the most tawdry video footage of it even – “pawing” an overweight wench, it truly is time that those with the power to strip someone of their honour acted.

     

    Having seen his PR advisors quit and the ‘Hot Felon’ appearing to have ditched his “pig-like” daughter, Chloe, in favour of a life on the razzle-dazzle in LA, the ‘Modern Day Robert Maxwell’ seems to be finally reaching his nemesis. Aside from having been branded a “cross between Al Capone and Shylock” in this very publication by Steven Berkoff, Sir Philip must come to accept his final role: All that’s left for this grubby groper and wrecker of pensioners’ lives is a position as the pantomime villain.

     

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  • From Ceaușescu to The Queen

    From Ceaușescu to The Queen

    1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned

     

    Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu was a dictator whose extravagance was a bit like that of Barbara Amiel: It knew no bounds. In 1966, ignoring the wishes of his Russian handlers, Ceaușescu decided to order what became the most costly Rolls-Royce Phantom V state landaulet by Mulliner Park Ward ever produced and spent £20,000 in 1966 (the equivalent of £652,000, $824,000, €726,000 or درهم3 million today) creating a truly luxurious vehicle.

     

    Featuring nearly every available option possible, including a rear seat that could be raised or lowered to suit the height of passengers, this luxurious limousine also came with a combination cocktail bar and entertainment cabinet with a television. It had dual air conditioners for both the front and rear compartments, fluorescent lighting for parades at night and a refrigerated wine cooler. So over-the-top was it that, though Ceaușescu allegedly “probably could not have cared less” himself, Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Communist Party, complained about the lavishness of the vehicle, had it stored for one year and then shipped back to England.

     

    From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).
    Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena

     

    Replaced with a “more suitable Silver Shadow,” Ceaușescu’s Phantom V state landaulet was sold on to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based Dr. Erle M. Heath and his wife Bonnie. They used it on a daily basis for three decades and racked up 117,000 miles in it but also loaned it to dignitaries and personalities on occasions. Used to chauffeur Her Majesty The Queen on her state visit to Bermuda in 1975, the car was also her transportation during her visit to the Grand Cayman Islands in 1983.

     

    Subsequently, in 1978, the vehicle also was used by Princess Grace of Monaco in Pittsburgh in 1978 and then after the death of Dr. Heath in 1992, it eventually became part of the Calumet Collection. Exhibited at various concours d’elegance, the Phantom V state landaulet also transported the American astronaut Buzz Aldrin and now has 161,795 miles on its clock.

     

    RM Sotheby’s will sell this “rich in history” car at their Arizona 2019 auction on Friday 18th January 2019. They offer it with no reserve and an estimate of £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).

     

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    From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million). From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million). From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million). From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million). From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million). From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million). From Ceaușescu to The Queen – 1967 Rolls-Royce state landaulet originally built for the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu – but considered too extravagant even by him – and later used by Her Majesty The Queen to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Friday 18th January 2018 at their Arizona 2019 – Estimate: £791,000 to £1.2 million ($1 million to $1.5 million, €880,000 to €1.3 million or درهم3.7 million to درهم5.5 million).

  • A Range Rover Goes Topless

    A Range Rover Goes Topless

    Wacky 1970s Range Rover convertible for sale for just under £100,000

     

    A truly quirky 1972 Range Rover Classic Suffix ‘A’ that was transformed for ‘topless’ use in Monaco is for sale through Kensington dealers Graeme Hunt.

     

    Featuring a completely removable hood frame, doors with drop down windows and such features a rear step to allow ease of access for female passengers, the car is being marketed as the “ultimate utility vehicle.”

     

    Designed for “family fun on the Promenade de la Croisette, a somewhat punchy sum of £97,500 ($137,000, €111,000 or درهم504,000) is sought for this somewhat bonkers car.

     

    Follow The Steeple Times on Twitter at @SteepleTimes.

     

    A Range Rover Goes Topless – Wacky 1972 Range Rover Classic Suffix ‘A’ convertible for sale for £97,500 ($137,000, €111,000 or درهم504,000) through Kensington dealer Graeme HuntA Range Rover Goes Topless – Wacky 1972 Range Rover Classic Suffix ‘A’ convertible for sale for £97,500 ($137,000, €111,000 or درهم504,000) through Kensington dealer Graeme Hunt A Range Rover Goes Topless – Wacky 1972 Range Rover Classic Suffix ‘A’ convertible for sale for £97,500 ($137,000, €111,000 or درهم504,000) through Kensington dealer Graeme HuntA Range Rover Goes Topless – Wacky 1972 Range Rover Classic Suffix ‘A’ convertible for sale for £97,500 ($137,000, €111,000 or درهم504,000) through Kensington dealer Graeme Hunt

  • Anything but Meek

    Anything but Meek

    What first attracted ‘Hot Felon’ Jeremy Meeks to the daughter of the billionaire ‘Sir Shifty’ Philip Green?

     

    One could argue the criminal Jeremy Meeks hit the jackpot when his mugshot went viral and a modeling career as the ‘Hot Felon’ ensued. Not only did he achieve such, but one could argue he had a double whammy next when he struck gold and acquired the daughter of the much loathed billionaire ‘Sir Shifty’ Philip Green as his ‘girlfriend.’

     

    Meeks, however, if what he allegedly said to the Mail on Sunday’s Charlotte Griffiths is true, plainly thinks to the contrary given he supposedly commented:

     

    “The third time we met, designer Philipp Plein threw a dinner for me and Chloe [Green] was there. I didn’t put her on the guest list and I still don’t know who invited her but I am happy she was there, and after that we fell in love.”

     

    Accompanying the article on the Mail Online’s site yesterday was a video of Meeks arriving at an awards ceremony in Monaco with Miss Green and her mother, the pugnacious Lady ‘Don’t Call Me Tina’ Green. In it, whilst Meeks looks at ease in front of the cameras, both Greens career before the flashbulbs and seem nothing but sozzled and out of their depth.

     

    Of this ‘arrangement,’ one can only echo the words of Mrs Merton and ask: “Jeremy, what first attracted you to the daughter of the billionaire Philip Green?”

     

    Follow The Steeple Times on Twitter at @SteepleTimes.

     

     

  • An Idea Car

    An Idea Car

    Futuristic 1952 Chrysler styling prototype to be auctioned in New York; its “wild technology” includes a hydraulically operated spare wheel

     

    Concept cars don’t generally go far and most end up sidelined to the world of dreams, but a 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia headed to auction in December is something quite to the contrary.

     

    Described as an ‘Idea Car’ and the product of a collaboration between Chrysler’s Virgil Exner Sr. (1909 – 1973) and Ghia’s Felice Mario Boano (1903 – 1989) – the designer of the Ferrari 250 GT Boano – the D’Elegance was built on a shortened 292 centimetre chassis and comes with two comfortable armchairs, power steering and electric windows.

     

    What makes this car standout, however, are its gunsight taillights, distinctive egg-crate grille and “wild technology” such as a rear deck lid with a hydraulically operated full-size spare wheel that raises and lowers at the touch of a switch.

     

    Described by Virgil Exner Jr. as “one of my father’s favourite cars” in 2011, the D’Elegance now comes with a 1956 vintage 354 Hemi V8 engine and a pedigree that includes ownership in the Blackhawk Collection, winning a special class of Chrysler Concepts at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and having been driven through the Alps from Monaco to Venice as part of the Louis Vuitton Classic Serenissima Run.

     

    RM Sotheby’s will sell the fully restored car with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million) at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on the 6th December.

     

    An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million) An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)An Idea Car – 1952 Chrysler D’Elegance by Ghia – To be sold by RM Sotheby’s at their ‘Icons’ sale in New York on 6th December 2017 with an estimate of £682,000 to £834,000 ($900,000 to $1.1 million, €771,000 to €943,000 or درهم3.3 million to درهم4 million)

  • Tax in Post

    Tax in Post

    Reliant Regal 3-wheeler used in the BBC’s ‘Only Fools and Horses’ in Monaco in 2002 to be offered for sale at auction

     

    A 1968 Reliant Regal 3-wheeler used in the 2002 ‘If only they could see us now’ episode of the hit BBC comedy series Only Fools and Horses is to be sold at auction in November.

     

    The distinctive yellow car, registration ‘BWC 94F’ was used for filming in Monaco and features a tiger skin print interior and a remote control key start which can be operated from up to 50 metres away. It also has a smoke machine that emits smoke from the exhaust when a valve is opened on the dashboard, rubber mats with ‘Del Boy’ on the drivers side, air horns, a suitcase on the roof and ‘Rodney’ on the passenger side and inflatable dolls that show up in the back window.

     

    Sold last by Bonhams in 2008, the eccentric vehicle has amazingly covered a total of 71,778 miles and even participated in the London to Brighton rally in 2001 and 2004. The 598cc car is to be offered by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Lovely jubbly.

     

    Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve. Tax in Post – 1968 Reliant Regal, registration BWC 94F – Used in BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses, episode in Monaco – Del and Rodney – Offered with no reserve by Silverstone Auctions at their NEC Classic Motor Show sale on 11th and 12th November with no reserve.

  • Marples Must Go

    Marples Must Go

    1964 Mini Cooper S hatchback designed to carry the golf clubs of the much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster Ernest Marples for sale

     

    Twice married and born in Levenshulme, Manchester, Ernest Marples – later Lord Marples – makes the very worst of modern politicians look like relative babes in arms. He can, however, be credited with commissioning a rare thing – the first ever Mini hatchback. Two were made in total and one, which was eventually transferred to the ownership of the politician in 1968, is to be auctioned in July.

     

    Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)
    Pictured left: (Alfred) Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) with his secretary turned second wife, Ruth Dobson. They married in 1956 and he became The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC in 1974. Pictured right: Lord Marples in his ‘Marples Mini’ (date unknown).

     

    Marples, whose upbringing was within the Labour Party and whose love of eccentric orange-brown shoes and blue suits was well known, worked as a miner, postman, chef and accountant before a stint in the Royal Artillery between 1941 and 1944. He then joined the Conservative Party, was elected Member of Parliament for Wallasey in 1945 and took his first ministerial post in 1951. Promoted by Churchill, Macmillan and Douglas-Home, he rose to become Postmaster General and Minister of Transport and introduced the STD telephone code, the Premium Bond scheme, the first postcodes, the MOT test, roadside single yellow and double yellow lines and possibly, in his most unpopular move of all, traffic wardens.

     

    Aside from his public appointments, controversially, Marples became a director of various companies in the 1940s. Without considering any potential conflicts of interest, he involved himself in firms that built the first motorways and several power stations also and attracted much attention after protestors spray painted a motorway bridge near Luton that his firm, Marples Ridgway and Partners, constructed with the caption: “Marples Must Go!”

     

    Subsequently, Marples brought the government into disrepute through his part in a prostitution scandal and after this was covered up in 1963, he later “cut and run” to Monaco in 1975 to avoid “a substantial tax bill” after being discovered having parked most of his assets in Monaco and Liechtenstein. He spent his final years on his 45-acre vineyard estate in Fleurie, France and died in a Monte Carlo hospital in 1978.

     

    The ex-Ernest Marples 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 will be sold by H&H Classics at their Imperial War Museum Duxford sale in Cambridgeshire on the 26th July. It has an estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900) – a sum that would no doubt, if he were still alive, have money obsessed Marples smiling with glee.

     

    Of the almond green car, which supposedly the hatchback boot was fitted to on the orders of Marples on the basis he wanted to be easily able to fill it with cases of wine and golf clubs, Damian Jones of H&H Classics commented:

     

    “This is not just another Mini. It is history on four wheels. Its former owner, Transport Minister Ernest Marples changed the face of Britain with housing, bridges, motorways. He was a very ‘colourful character’ to say the least. It is fascinating that he chose to buy and use this relatively modest car when going golfing or going to France on holiday. If this car could speak what tales might it tell? It is truly one of a kind.”

     

    Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900) Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWymCebAl6g