LONDON — A sporty Ford Escort that was once
princess Diana’s runabout sold at auction for £737,000 on Saturday, a few days before
the 25th anniversary of her death.
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The modest car,
with just 40,000km on the clock, went under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions
in Warwickshire in central England.
Bidders from
Dubai,
the US, and Britain held a heated bidding war for the one-of-a-kind
model, resulting in a sale to a buyer from Alderley Edge, an upmarket village
in northern England that is home to many Premier League footballers.
The sale price
equivalent to around $866,000 comes as interest in Diana’s life remains huge, a
quarter-century after her death, fuelled by the success of “The Crown” Netflix
series.
The auctioneers
said the sale attracted “a supreme amount of global press and publicity
interest”.
The car was sold
without a reserve price, with bids starting at £100,000. It sold for £650,000
plus buyer’s premium.
The black Ford
Escort RS Turbo S1 with a blue stripe was driven by Diana between 1985 and
1988, as she preferred to have her own car instead of the royal family’s
stately Rolls-Royces and Daimlers, according to the lot description.
The auctioneers
said the unique Ford Escort remains the “most daring choice” of car by any
member of the Royal Family.
The Escort was
no luxury vehicle but one of UK’s best-selling cars of the era, totaling more
than 4.1 million sales, according to Auto Express website.
Similar cars
with a less illustrious provenance can be found in classified ads in the UK for
around £10,000.
This car,
however, was made by Ford according to Diana’s specifications and it is
believed to be the only black-painted version of this model, according to the
auctioneers.
Diana was
frequently photographed at the wheel visiting shops and restaurants in
London.
Prince William was also photographed sitting in the back.
The princess
drove the car with a royal detective in the passenger seat and it was adapted
with features such as a second rear view mirror and a radio in the glove box.
The vehicle was
previously owned by a collector of Ford cars.
Last year
another Ford Escort previously owned by Diana, a 1981 silver 1.6L Ghia saloon
that was an engagement present from Prince Charles, sold in London for £52,640
including sales tax and buyer’s premium.
The car’s buyer
was said to be a museum in South America. It was previously owned by a US
museum.
Saturday’s sale comes
ahead of Wednesday’s anniversary of Diana’s death at 36 after a car crash in
Paris.
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