A Land Rover once owned by Winston Churchill has auctioned for £129,000 ($206,933) in the UK, more than doubling its £60,000 ($96,250) high estimate.
The green Series 1 vehicle, which has 12,932 miles on the clock, was given to the British war-time prime minister in 1954 as an 80th birthday present from Rover.
 1954 Land Rovers usually sell for just £4,000 |
As we predicted, the October 20 sale is a clear example of the cachet of the Churchill name with collectors; regular 1954 Series 1s which sell today usually achieve just £4,000 ($6,500).
The result offers plenty of encouragement for those looking to buy into the buoyant Churchill collectibles market.
His signature is one of the most accessible areas. Churchill-signed photos have risen 7.82% pa in value since 2000, from £2,600 ($4,000) to £5,950 ($9,160), according to the PFC40 Autograph Index.
View all our Churchill memorabilia for sale here, which includes three signed letters.
The Land Rover featured several Churchill-specific modifications undertaken by the manufacturer, including an extra wide passenger seat and a wooden box thought to have contained bricklaying tools - a favourite hobby of his.
The lot also included the vehicle's log book, bearing Churchill's name, although it had not been signed by the great man.
Used by Churchill on his Chartwell estate until his death in 1965, the vehicle subsequently passed into the ownership of his son-in-law, politician Christopher Soames.
It had last sold in 1973 for just £320 - representing a rise in value of 16.63% pa.
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