A small car used by Princess Diana in the 1980s is expected to fetch a six-figure price at auction on Saturday.
The black Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1 was used by the Princess for leisure outings and, when she owned it between 1985 and 1988, was often in London’s upmarket Chelsea, according to a press release from Silverstone Auctions, which handled the sale. and Kensington neighborhoods were found.
The auction house’s classic car expert, Arville Richards, told NBC News Saturday that the car is expected to sell for “six figures.”
Richards said the current owner, who did not give his name, bought it in 2008 and thought it was “the right time to sell,” adding that it was a “very special car.”
In a separate release, the auction house said Diana used a luxury fleet for official engagements but preferred to drive the humble Ford for personal matters.
The young Prince William, who is second in line to the British throne, poses with his mother in the back seat, a photo from the time she had it, the release said.
It said the car had changed hands four times since 1988. With just 24,961 miles on it, it’s “unmatched in condition, rarity and low mileage,” the release added.
It said the car was later used by the wife of a Ford Motor Company manager and was given away as part of a radio campaign in 1993.
“We’ve sold a number of cars of royal blood, but this one fits the bill in terms of history, rarity, condition and mileage,” Richards said in the release. “The market loves early Ford RS models.”
Bidders can attend the auction at Silverstone, about 80 miles north of London, or bid online or by phone, the auction house’s website says.
This isn’t the first time a car that once belonged to Princess Diana has been sold at Silverstone.
Her first Ford Escort sold for £52,000 ($61,097) at auction in June 2021, while a 1994 Audi Cabriolet, also belonging to the Princess, fetched £54,000 ($63,447) at auction in 2016 price sold.
Reuters contributed.
