Page 23 - Oct 2022

Princess Diana's Ford Escort RS Turbo Sells at Auct ion during t he 25t h
Anniversary Year of Her Passing

According to the BBC, the late Princess Diana's Ford Escort RS Turbo, a one -off, configured by
Ford's Special Engineering Vehicle team, was sold recently by Silverstone Auctions in
Mo t o r s po r t England. The hammer fell at $764,000 or 650,000 pounds. Final bidding came down to an
News f r o m Emirati buyer pitted against a British buyer, who won the final bid and was later identified as
Her e a n d a "gentleman from Cheshire". The pristine Ford was expected to sell at around the 100,000
a c r o s s t h e pound mark but brought six times as much. The car also brought the most telephone bids
Po n d the company had seen in 12 years. Celebrity ownership continues to add value to cars.

According to the sales catalog, Diana personally drove the car for three years, beginning in
1985. While cars of this type were frequently painted in white, her car ordered for discretion
was in a sober black, not available as a factory option, The car had clocked just 25,000 miles
before the Princess stopped driving it. The Ford Escort RS Turbo was known as 'the people's
sports car'. "The fact that the People's Princess drove it, just nails it, " said Arwel Richards, a
classic car specialist at Silverstone Auctions, who was quoted by the BBC after the sale.
Walkaround Auct ion Video on page 20
Look Carefully--Ast on Mart in Announces New
Top Ten Most Expensive Cars Sold during 2022 Mont erey Car Week
Wing Design, Bringing t he Tot al Number of
Auct ions
Designs t o 8
10. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet, sold for $6,825,000 (RM Sotheby?s)
It's an iconic brand, with an immediately identifiable bonnet
9. 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe, sold for $7,265,000 (RM Sotheby?s)
emblem; thus, when Aston Martin announced it was updating its
8. 1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider, sold for $7,485,000 (RM Sotheby?s) Wings, well , a news release and a tour was required. The update
has been done in co-operation with British art director and graphic
7. 1954 Ferrari 375 America Vignale Cabriolet, sold for $7,595,000 (RM Sotheby?s)
designer Peter Saville. The new design will appear on the
6. 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Coupe, sold for $7,595,000 (RM Sotheby?s)
company's next generation of sports cars.
5. 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider, sold for $7,815,000 (RM Sotheby?s)
So, what do the updated wings, each set handcrafted by
4. 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Transformable Torpedo, sold for $9,245,000 (RM specialists operating from Birmingham's jewelry quarter, look like?
Sotheby?s) Said Saville, " ?The Aston Martin wings update is a classic example
of the necessary evolution of logotypes of provenance..." The new
3. 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sindelfingen Roadster, sold for $9,905,000 (RM
one?s at bottom.
Sotheby?s)
(Stunningly different, don't you think?)
2. 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe ( photo below) , sold for $10,345,000
(Gooding & Company)

1. 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider, sold for $22,005,000 (RM Sotheby?s)

Illustrations
provided by Aston
Martin in its recent
press release.

23