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As a member of the British royal household, the late Princess Diana had an array of chauffeurs and high-end vehicles at her disposal. And but, she was typically seen behind the wheel of a humble Ford Escort. Her first Escort — a comparatively primary mannequin — was bought at an public sale in June 2021, and her second Escort — a much more fascinating RS Turbo that is distinctive in some ways — will quickly cross the public sale block.
Princess Diana ended up behind the wheel of a 1985 Escort RS Turbo as a result of security-related issues. Silverstone Auctions explains she was initially set to get a crimson convertible till the member of The Royalty Safety Command in control of her safety intervened. The gentle prime offered little in the best way of privateness and even much less in the best way of security, so she had no alternative however to order a automobile with a hard and fast roof.
Getting a bare-bones variant with metal wheels and a carburetor was seemingly out of the query. She chosen the RS Turbo, the newest in an extended line of hot-rodded Escort fashions. It was solely provided in white, although Ford’s PR supervisor got here up with the thought of portray Diana’s automobile black, and the Particular Car Engineering crew put in a five-slat grille from an ordinary Escort as an alternative of the Turbo’s three-slat unit in a bid to make the hatchback extra refined. They left the rally-inspired driving lights, the seven-spoke wheels, and the spoiler, nonetheless.
Silverstone Auctions notes that Princess Diana gave her Escort again to Ford in Could 1988 with about 6,800 miles on the odometer. Geoff King, the supervisor of Ford’s Authorities Gross sales Division, bought the automobile for his spouse. It in some way ended up as a prize given away by radio station KISS-FM in September 1993, and a lady recognized as Miss Jones of Essex, England, gained it. It had 12,000 miles on the time.
Quick-forward to 2008: A non-public collector purchased it from a person named Mr. Windsor (undecided if he was certainly one of these Windsors) who had bought it in November 1994. It has been on this assortment since, and its odometer at the moment shows 24,961 miles. It is unmodified, it is provided with an extended listing of service data and different paperwork, and it has been reunited with the C462 FHK registration quantity assigned to it when Princess Diana took possession of it.
The so-called Folks’s Princess had good style in vehicles. Energy for the RS Turbo comes from a turbocharged, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 130 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque to the entrance wheels by way of a five-speed guide transmission. That is loads for a automobile that suggestions the size at 2,182 kilos. For context, a base 1985 Escort putted together with a 49-horsepower, 1.1-liter engine.
Even with out a connection to Princess Diana, this first-generation Escort RS Turbo would undoubtedly promote for a jaw-dropping determine. It is authentic (many ended up closely modified within the Nineties), it options unusually low mileage, and it is the one identified instance painted in black. Its possession historical past will doubtless ship the promoting worth via the roof. It’s going to cross the public sale block on Saturday, August 27, with no reserve, however we would not be shocked if it sells for a six-digit sum. Take into account that Diana’s first Escort, a 1981 four-door hatchback given to her by Prince Charles two months earlier than their wedding ceremony, bought for £52,000 (round $63,600) together with taxes and the client’s premium in 2021.
