Princess Diana’s iconic Ford Escort fetches high price at an auction 

Are you someone who has a penchant for cars? Well then, we have an interesting piece of news for you. Turns out, the Ford Escort that belonged to the late Princess Diana has recently been auctioned at a whooping £724,500. It was sold at the Silverstone Auctions in Warwickshire, UK, to a buyer based on Cheshire. Featured as The Car of the Day,” it had garnered a huge interest among vintage car collectors. In fact, the auction house reported that it had fetched the firm the largest number of telephone bids in last 12 years. Here’s everything else you might find interesting on this. 

Ford Escort: Princess Diana’s limited-edition car 
This limited-edition Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1 owned and used by the late Princess of Wales Diana was her last Ford Escort with 24,961 miles on the clock. Sources cite that she herself drove this black beauty (registration number: C462FHK) for a span of three years from August 1985 to September 1988; while her security personnel from the Royalty Protection Command (or S104) sat in the passenger seat. In fact, people remember her driving the car around Chelsea and Kensington around that time, especially near the boutique shops in that area, before she returned the car to Ford. Incidentally, following its return, Ford had sold the car multiple times. However, it made it back to the manufacturer eventually. Interestingly, Diana’s Ford Escort (often deemed as “people’s sports car”) was special not only because it was part of the royal collection, but also for being the first and only black RS Turbo Series 1 model (others were all in white) from the era. In fact, it was customised by the royal security “for discretion” and had distinct features such as a second rear view mirror and a radio in the glove box. As revealed by the auctioneer, it was both the car’s rarity and the public’s emotional link that made it so special.  

The Silverstone Auctions 
Princess Diana’s Ford Escort, often deemed as ‘a piece of history’ had quite a number of bidders. The bidding started at £100,000 as it soon turned into a contest between two hopeful buyers, one based in Dubai and the other in Coventry. However, around £450,000 mark, the primary bidders were the one in Dubai and the other in Cheshire. Finally, the UK-based buyer won the auction and took the Ford Escort back home with him for a whooping £724,500. Here’s something interesting for you: turns out, in June last year, another Ford Escort (a 1981 silver 1.8L Ghia saloon) used by Princess Diana was also auctioned off for £52,000.