Sean Connery with the 1964 DB5 he drove in Goldfinger and Thunderball
What happens when a car with a famous owner goes under the hammer?
When it comes to changing the car, most of us will negotiate fiercely with the dealer to get a good trade –in value on our old car. No such problems if the car has a famous owner; it can increase the value of a car enormously. Later this month a 1964 Morris Oxford owned by Winston Churchill will be up for auction and the car is expected to fetch a high price.
James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5
The 1964 DB5 driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger and Thunderball has to be one of the most recognisable and famous cars in the world. Two separate DB5s were used for filming; the location of one of the cars is not known but the second car was sold for a whopping £2.6m (about €3m) in 2010.
Jay Leno’s Fiat 500
A Fiat 500 is a modest car with a modest price. But last year a special “Prima Edizione” owned by Jay Leno was sold at a charity auction for $385,000 (about €288,000)!
Kate Middleton’s Volkswagen Golf
Kate was snapped in this car on several occasions while she was dating Prince William. The 2001 registered navy blue Golf was put up for sale on eBay in 2011 but failed to reach its reserve of £20,000 (about €23,000 and much more than what a regular Golf of this age would cost). In 2012, the car appeared on Channel 4’s auction show Four Rooms, this time with the seller looking for £70,000 (about €80,000). Once again it failed to tempt buyers. Proof that even a royal seal of approval can’t guarantee a high resale value!
Steve McQueen’s Ford GT40
In 2012, Steve McQueen’s 1968 Ford GT40 became the most expensive American car ever sold. Aside from being owned by the famous actor, the car featured with McQueen in the film Le Mans. It was sold at auction for $11,000,000 (about €8m).
Winston Churchill with Land Rover Series I presented on his 80th birthday
Kylie and Danni Minogue’s Mercedes SLK
The black Mercedes roadster was bought new by Danni Minogue in 1999 and subsequently passed onto sister Kylie. The car sold for a modest £14,950 (about €17,000) in the UK in 2010, with some of the proceeds going to a breast cancer charity.
George Clooney’s Tesla Roadster
George sold his 2008 Tesla electric two-seater roadster at auction in 2012. The car was expected to fetch between $100,000 and $125,000 and in the end it sold for a respectable $99,000 (about €74,000).
The Queen’s Land Rover
It’s a far cry from today’s bullet proof Range Rovers favoured by the Royal Family, but a 1978 Land Rover Series III used to chauffeur the Queen around sold for £28,000 (about €32,000) last year, exceeding the top estimate by £10,000. It featured a special “traffic light” system so that Her Majesty could order her driver to slow down, stop or start at the touch of a button, and bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of back seat driving!
21st February, 2013
