A one-of-a-kind black Ford Escort driven by Princess Diana in the 1980s will be auctioned off this weekend at Britain’s Silverstone racing circuit. Diana owned the RS Turbo Series 1 Escort between 1985 and 1988, and it was one among 130 pieces up for auction on Saturday. According to Silverstone Auctions, it is claimed to be the only example of the vehicle produced in black, and it is expected to bring more than 100,000 pounds ($118,000).
The RS Turbo Series 1 was typically painted white, but Diana’s royal family police guard requested that it be painted black “for discretion,” according to the auctioneers. The princess’ decision to drive the vehicle, which has just under 25,000 miles (about 40,000 km) on it, was “a really brave option,” according to Arwel Richards, Classic Car Specialist at Silverstone Auctions.
“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.”
Next week commemorates the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death, at the age of 36, when the limousine in which she was a passenger crashed in a Paris tunnel as it drove away from paparazzi on motorcycles. Other items up for auction at the Classic, a three-day motor racing extravaganza at the Northamptonshire circuit, include a Rolls-Royce convertible originally owned by Bee Gee Maurice Gibb.
In 1979, the singer, who died in 2003, purchased the black 1973 Corniche. The vehicle, which was outfitted with red leather upholstery, remained in the family until 2012. It has a suggested price of 100,000 – 115,000 pounds. A 1973 Rover P5, used to drive former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to visit with Queen Elizabeth after her 1979 election, is also up for auction, with a guide price of 35,000 – 45,000 pounds. A 1988 Volkswagen T25 Caravelle GL 112 minibus used to transport late British physicist Stephen Hawking is being auctioned online with no reserve.
