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Princess Diana’s beloved 1985 Ford Escort was sold for more than $850,000 at a UK auction held Saturday.
The car, owned by the People’s Princess from 1985 to 1988, was sold off after a “fierce bidding” battle, Silverstone Auctions said. The bid came in at 650,000 pounds, or $764,000; the additional 12.5% buyer’s premium catapulted the final price tag to an eye-popping $851,070.
Silverstone said days before bidding the car was expected to sell for more than $118,000, or 100,000 pounds.
The vehicle was typically made in white, but was customized for her, painted in black at the request of the royal family police guard “for discretion.”
The late princess was seen driving the car around Chelsea and Kensington before she returned it to Ford with about 6,800 miles on it.
“All the other members of the royal family would be driving around London in the back … of an official car … and she’s driving in a car … that you would see on a housing estate not outside the palace.” Arwel Richards, a classic car specialist at Silverstone Auctions told Reuters a few days ago.
A video posted by Richards on Twitter Saturday showed a crowd of people applaud after the final bid was accepted at Silverstone’s racing circuit.
The unique ride had multiple owners after Princess Diana and has about 25,000 miles on it.
The new owner of the car was not identified by Silverstone.
Last year, another Ford Escort used by the late Princess of Wales sold for $61,100 or 52,000 pounds.
The auction comes a week before the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death when a limo the 36-year-old was a passenger in crashed in a Paris tunnel to avoid paparazzi chasing her on motorbikes.
With Post wires.