A Land Rover once owned by Winston Churchill is coming to auction in October.
The green Series 1 vehicle, which has 12,932 miles on the clock, was given to Churchill as an 80th birthday present from Rover in 1954.
 The Land Rover was fitted with an extra wide passenger seat |
It comes complete with special modifications made by the manufacturer, including an extra wide passenger seat to accommodate the famously paunchy wartime prime minister, as well as a wooden box believed to have contained his bricklaying tools - a favourite hobby of Churchill's.
The lot also includes the vehicle's log book, although it has not been signed by Churchill.
Employed on Churchill's Chartwell estate until his death in 1965, it subsequently passed into the ownership of his son-in-law. It last changed hands for just £320 in 1973.
Bearing its original features and in wonderfully nostalgic unrestored condition, it is expected to achieve between £50,00-60,000, a figure that would see it surpass the Queen's Daimler, which sold for $70,000 (£44,560), in 2010. Regular 1954 Series 1s can achieve in the region of £4,000, providing clear evidence of the power of the "Churchill factor".
We believe it could even exceed its high estimate, such is the clamour for Winston Churchill memorabilia.
A half-finished cigar sold for £4,500 in a UK sale in 2010, while a set of his dentures made £17,480 at Bonhams in 2010, 249.6% above their £5,000 estimate.
His signature too is causing plenty of excitement among investors.
Churchill-signed photos are up 7.82% pa in value since 2000, from £2,600 ($4,000) to £5,950 ($9,160), states the PFC40 Autograph Index.
We have one of the rarest items of Winston Churchill memorabilia around: a handwritten letter by Churchill, written in 1904. It is available for £4,950 ($7,600), which we believe offers considerable investment potential considering the upward trend of the market.
We will bring you full results from the October 20 Cambridgeshire auction as soon as it happens.
