A Ferrari by actor Hugh Grant and a Ford Escort that once belonged to Princess Diana are both up for sale.
Classic car enthusiasts and gasoline-powered cars with a few thousand reserves could drive away in both unique vehicles this month.
Hugh Grants Ferarri California is advertised on Auto Trader this month
The Ferarri California, purchased from the British actor as a 50th birthday present in 2012, is advertised on the Auto Trader auto sales site for £ 79,950. It has 27,000 miles on the clock and reportedly cost the Notting Hill Starting £ 143,000 anew.
While the 1981 silver 1.6L Ghia sedan, which was an engagement gift to Diana from Princess Charles, will be auctioned on June 29, where it will fetch between £ 30,000 and £ 40,000.
The car was an engagement gift from Prince Charles
The Escort isn’t the only car with royal connections to have been auctioned in recent weeks – a Rolls-Royce that once belonged to Princess Margaret was up for sale in late May.
The 1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II belonged to the Queen’s sister for 22 years and carried many distinguished passengers during its ownership, including the Queen and former US President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy.
Princess Margaret’s Rolls-Royce was only available last month
But it seems you don’t always have to go to a car auction to own wheels with royal connections.
The Audi RS6, which belonged to Prince Harry for a year and drove his then girlfriend Meghan Markle in one of her earliest public appearances in May 2017 to the wedding reception of his sister-in-law Pippa Middleton, was also advertised through Auto Trader in 2018.
Prince Harry used the Audi for a year before his marriage to Meghan Markle, here at their wedding in 2018. Copyright: Steve Parsons / PA Wire.
It was perhaps just one of the few trips the car took as it sold with less than 4,500 miles on the clock and a price tag of £ 71,900 that included £ 11,000 in hand-picked extras like privacy glass, heated front and rear seats, and a Panoramic sunroof.
Auto Trader’s Rory Reid said cars can get a “premium” branding if they have a celebrity connection.
An Audi that once belonged to Prince Harry was sold at Auto Trader in 2018
He stated, “Auto Trader has a long history of promoting the cars of the rich and famous, and usually they have a bonus because of fame.”
Regarding Hugh Grant’s Ferrari, which is currently for sale on the website, he added, “However, this one is bucking the trend and is more affordable than other Ferrari Californias.
“You could even go so far as to say this is a bit of a bargain.”
Hugh Grant’s Ferrari California is available to buy through Auto Trader
The convertible, which can reach speeds of up to 193 mph, isn’t the first celebrity car Auto Trader has advertised on its website this year.
In March, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane’s 1998 Aston Martin DB7 was released for £ 29,500, along with a 1999 Man United football shirt signed by the entire team.
A DB7 owned by Roy Keane was painted gold
Roy Keane bought this custom-painted gold car to celebrate Man United’s three-time win in 1999. And if you were an autograph hunter alongside a football fan and car enthusiast, the DB7 also came with a signed letter from the footballer confirming that no damage had occurred to the vehicle while it was in possession.
Aston Martin from teammate David Beckham also appeared on Auto Trader last year, but at a much higher price than Roy Keane’s.
David and Victoria Beckham’s Aston Martin had a price tag of nearly half a million pounds
The vintage Aston Martin AMV8 Volante – in deep red with cream leather interior and deep-pile carpets – was advertised for a cool £ 445,000. It was a price that was driven high not only by its former celebrity owner, but also because of the car’s coveted X-Pack engine. The car was in pristine condition and was exhibited at the London Classic Car Show shortly before the lockdown.
But on Auto Trader, at a relatively similar price as Hugh Grant’s Ferarri sold last year, was a Ferrari that belonged to legendary blues guitarist Eric Clapton.
Known for his classic car collection – after his music career, of course – it was the second of his cars that made the rounds on the online sales page. His Lamborghini Superleggera was the first to be bought for allegedly £ 125,000, while the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano F1 was added to the sales page in 2020 for £ 89,900.
Eric Clapton’s car
Musician Madonna was so attached to one of her cars that she dedicated lyrics to it in her 2003 hit American Life. The 2002 Mini Cooper S Hatch was purchased by the singer while living in London with then-husband Guy Ritchie and her family.
The single, which rose to number two in the UK and topped the US charts, had the line, “I drive my Mini Cooper and feel super-duper, yo, they tell me I’m a trooper and you know?” I am happy’.
But after falling in love with Richie, and consequently life in the UK, the car – with 25,000 miles on the clock – appeared on sale at Auto Trader for £ 55,000 in 2018. It was reportedly first auctioned in 2016, but the car’s former insurance records and V5 log – both were available with the vehicle – listed both Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s names.
Madonna used her Mini to drive a car in London when she lived in the capital
Unsurprisingly, the Mini was priced higher because of its former celebrity owner – perhaps seen as an important piece of pop memorabilia after Madonna L Ciccone ordered the 1.6-liter gasoline truck in October 2002.
In any case, the Mini Oxford factory knew exactly who its A-List customer was at the time, and all the factory workers signed on the bodywork under the hood before it left the line. Like many of the cars that were once owned by celebrities, this one included some optional extras not routinely available on a regular Mini, including privacy glass.
