A 1956 Austin Princess that once belonged to music legend John Lennon is set to go under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s London sale on 7 September.
The car was famously used by Lennon and Yoko Ono in the 1972 film Imagine, which was used to promote Lennon’s Capitol Records album of the same title. The car retains five aeroplane seats, which the singer had fitted while it was being used by the band.
Among the Princess’s documents is the original bill of sale, which was signed when Lennon bought the car on 26 August 1971 – in itself a fascinating piece of Beatles memorabilia.
The Austin was donated to the Texas-based Austin Rock and Roll Car Museum in 2008, and is now being sold to help raise money for charity. A portion of the process of the sale will benefit UNICEF, the Make a Wish Foundation and the Dell Children’s Medical Center.
“Since donating the Austin Princess to the museum, it’s been seen and enjoyed by thousands,” said Milton Verret, who bought the car in 2005 and later donated it to the museum. “Now the museum wants to offer this rare vehicle at auction with the hope that it will be seen and enjoyed by even more fans of John Lennon and The Beatles worldwide, while at the same time raising money for deserving charities.”
The Princess will be joined by another famous car, this time owned by British actor James Mason. The 1966 Mercedes-Benz 300SE Cabriolet was bought new by Mason and remained in his family, being used extensively for holidays to Switzerland and the south of France. It is now being offered from the late actor’s estate with an estimate of £150-200,000.
Peter Wallman, managing director of RM Europe, said: “We are honoured to have been entrusted with the sale of these two historically important cars. Celebrity provenance doesn’t get stronger than this, and the fact that both cars are accompanied by the original, signed title documents is fantastic. They are very different cars, but each will surely find a delighted new owner at our London sale.”
