Auction News Network

Winston Churchill’s Daimler Sells In Germany

Between the years of 1944-49, and thus throughout his tenure as Prime Minister in World War II, Sir Winston Churchill’s ride of choice was a stylish 1939 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe. Incongruous as it may seem for an automobile that belonged to the man who led his country’s battle against the Third Reich, the roadster turned up on German eBay, where it set off a bidding frenzy that ended with a price of $621,500. That was, according to the Online Mail, about 16 times what a DB18 might be expected to command.

“Princess Diana Rolls” Scores In Auction

What’s in a name? A 1979 Rolls Royce that Princess Diana rode in during her first trip to the U.S. has sold in an eBay auction for $122,323. Admittedly this one has some nifty—and expensive—options, like bullet-proofing and protection against gas attacks. All the same, the price tag was a hefty premium over the $20,000-$40,000 that models of the same vintage typically command.

Laptop For First Presidential Email To Go For $125,000?

Fourteen years ago Bill Clinton borrowed a laptop to send the first email from a President. It went to John Glenn who had emailed him while orbiting the earth. The Toshiba used to send the message, with both Glenn’s and Clinton’s messages still on the hard drive, is on eBay starting at $125,000.

Einstein “God Letter” On Ebay, 3m?

A year before his death, Albert Einstein wrote a letter expressing his views on religion where he characterized the Bible as a collection of “primitive legends” and “pretty childish.” Known as the “God Letter,” it’s handwritten in German to a philosopher and now eBay with a starting price of $3m.

“Introducing The Beatles” Album Goes For $15,000

Sadly, most copies of the first album released in the U.S., “Introducing The Beatles,” are fakes. Labels were printed incorrectly, they’re not actually in stereo, or the song listings are wrong. So a real Version #1, still in its 1964 Sears “baggy” cellophane wrapping, sold on eBay this week for $15,000.

Tuscan Village, Anyone?

Many dream of one day owning a villa in Tuscany. For those with even grander notions, however, an entire Tuscan village has come on the market—on eBay, of all places. Pratariccia is a collection of 25 cottages and almost 20 acres of hilltops above the Casentino Valley, about 25 miles from Florence. Abandoned for 50 years, the medieval village is owned by a religious order that has embraced eBay after failing to sell the town for an asking price of a bit more than $3m.

Millions Expected for Futurliner On eBay

General Motors built 12 Futurliner buses for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, of which just 9 remain. Part of their “Parade of Progress display,” the buses opened up to show what life would be like in a future replete with microwaves, radar, and televisions. The example that will be auctioned on eBay from July 8-18 is a product of a three-year restoration. Back in 2006, one sold at Barrett Jackson for $4.1m.  eBay is expecting its Furturliner to be the most expensive vehicle ever auctioned by the site.

Update: With a top bid of $505,600 the Futurliner failed to meet its reserve, and did not sell.

$130,000 For “Unique” Royal Hat

Among the many bizarre and colorful hats worn to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, none has provoked more snarky comment than the Philip Treacy creation worn by Princess Beatrice, the Queen’s granddaughter. This “unique sculptural celebratory headpiece,” as it was advertised on eBay, has been described less flatteringly as closer to antlers, a toilet seat or a pretzel. This weekend, with 39 bidders contending, it sold for $130,000.

Vatican Jewels Jump From Evel To eBay

In one of the odder pairings in recent memory, a diamond studded cross and ring once owned by both Pope Paul VI and daredevil Evel Knievel are headed to eBay. Some 50 years ago the Pope donated them to the U.N., which auctioned them for $64,000 to benefit several charities. Since then, they’ve passed through a number of owners, including Knievel and the present one, a North Carolina widow who hopes to realize as much as $900,000 from the auction.