A car once used by Diana, Princess of Wales has sold for a jaw-dropping £650,000 at auction.
The black Ford Escort RS Turbo, which was driven by the late Diana from August 23 1985 to May 1 1988, sold to a UK buyer at the Silverstone Auctions sale on Saturday 27 August.
Diana was often pictured driving the RS Turbo Series 1 outside the boutique shops of Chelsea and the restaurants of Kensington, and there's a snap of her eldest son Prince William strapped to a car seat in the back as a young boy.
The former Princess of Wales was known for preferring to drive to drive her own car and she compromised by having a member of the Royalty Protection Command (SO14) sit alongside her in the passenger seat.
The car is believed to be unique as the first and only black RS Turbo Series 1, as agreed by S014 and the Ford PR department for reasons of discretion, instead of the only-white manufactured model.
Of course, given the fact that it was owned by Diana, the car is even more unique.
The Ford factory’s special vehicle engineering department was tasked to supply the car and it fitted a regular five-slat front grille to assist in the “stealth makeover”.
There was also a secondary rear-view mirror for the protection officer with a radio in the glove box, with the cable still visible.
The Ford Escort in question isn't the first car driven by Diana to sell for a hefty sum at auction, as in June 2021, another Ford Escort used by Diana sold at auction for £52,000.
Arwel Richards, classic car specialist at Silverstone Auctions, said it was “an incredible result” with “fierce bidding” and a packed room.
“The car exceeded all expectations,” he said, adding that it was a “top ten world record for its type”.
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Mr Richards said: “The selling price of £650,000 plus 12.5% buyer’s premium shows that a unique Ford can sell for supercar money.”
Including the buyer’s premium, the buyer paid £730,000 in total.
The milestone 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's is on 31 August, after she died following a high-speed car crash in Paris, in which she was a backseat passenger.
Her youngest son Prince Harry recently paid tribute to his mother as he attended a fundraiser for the charity Sentebale, founded by himself in 2006 in memory of the late princess.
Harry said: “My dear friend Prince Seeiso [of Lesotho] and I founded Sentebale 16 years ago in honour of our mothers, with a mission to support many of the most vulnerable young people on the planet – and to give them care and help them thrive.
“In Sesotho, the language of the Basotho – the word Sentebale means 'forget me not'.
"Next week is the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death, and she most certainly will never be forgotten. I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it.
“I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her. Every day, I hope to do her proud."
READ MORE:
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- Prince William's very own 'Diana' moment with 'extraordinary embrace and smile'
- Diana would have made 'impetuous' Prince Harry reconsider US move, says her friend
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