A 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1 that was driven regularly by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, sold at auction Saturday for $857,712.
Silverstone Auctions in Warwickshire sold the storied black hatchback to a buyer in Cheshire, the BBC reported.
According to Bloomberg, the six-digit sale obliterated the standing record of $73,900 for the sale of an Escort, set in 2021 with the purchase of a white 1085 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 that was considered collector-quality.
The sale also beat the price of the Ford Escort Ghia that Prince Charles gave Diana as an engagement gift, which sold for $55,100 one year ago, the business news outlet reported.
According to the BBC, the Leamington Spa-based auction house told people at the sale it was the “car of the day. Princess Diana, who died nearly 25 years ago, drove the black Escort for nearly three years, beginning in 1985, and was spotted behind its wheel while frequenting the boutique shops of Chelsea and Kensington.
Princess Diana preferred to drive her own car, while a member of the Royalty Protection Command sat in the passenger seat, the BBC reported.
“We have sold a number of motorcars that have had a royal pedigree, but this car ticks every box in terms of history, rarity, condition and mileage. The market adores early Ford RS models,” Arwel Richards, a Silverstone Auctions classic car specialist, said in a prepared statement.
“When royal cars come to auction, they’re usually Rolls-Royces or Range Rovers, so to offer the very best example of the working-class hero’s sports hatchback with such provenance is perhaps unique and therefore very exciting,” Richards added.
©2022 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
