One aspect which makes a collector car all the more desirable is when it’s the first of something, whether it be production, model year, etc. Even better is when the vehicle is the first of something connected to a person of notoriety. Normally, a Jaguar I-Pace going to auction doesn’t set the world on fire, but this one was used by none other than King Charles III.
A 1954 Ferrari Tip 625 Monoposto with an impressive pedigree has arrived on the market.
That’s right, it’s the first EV owned by the Royal Family, making it quite collectable on both sides of the pond. Naturally, it’s generating a lot of buzz ahead of the auction date, all but guaranteeing plenty will be watching when the gavel falls.
Purchased by King Charles III in April 2018, this top-of-the-line EV400 HSE carted him around to events in luxurious silence. Originally, it was painted Eiger Grey, but his majesty insisted it be repainted his favorite color, Loire Blue, the only Jaguar I-Pace to wear such a hue from the factory. That adds further to its unique nature and thus collectability.
When the EV was returned to Jaguar in December 2021 it had under 3,000 miles on the odometer. Another party purchased it through a Jaguar dealer in Oxford, unaware of its history or one-of-a-kind color, and so drove it just over 32,000 miles before learning of its royal origin.
Currently, the Jaguar is housed in the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. We imagine whomever purchases it will likely put it on display again, if not keep it in a temperature-controlled garage. This is, after all, a piece of Royal Family history and thus will be preserved for future generations.
While the auction won’t take place through Historics Auctioneers until March 2, the auction house is taking online bids now. That means it could be more than just Britons vying to own this piece of modern Royal history.
See the lot listing here.
Images via Historics Auctioneers
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