Sir Michael Caine’s first car — a classic Rolls Royce — was sold for 120,000 pounds at an auction in Cambridgeshire this week.
The English actor bought his perpetual motion car for £10,511 in 1968 when it was released. Kane’s rise to fame grew rapidly in the late 1960s, and he wanted a car that would make an impression. Only 506 models were produced for this car.
The lucky owner of the car was a telephone bidder at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
Guided at £100,000-£150,000 (wide, I know, but can you value celebrity?) is the 1968 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Two-Door Drophead Coupe that was supplied new to Sir Michael Caine CBE
Is there a celebrity whose car you’d rather own?
Sold for £120,000 plus commission! pic.twitter.com/gGypFuJSRd
— LUDEN Automotive (@LUDENClassics) March 15, 2023
The Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Dropped coupe was Sir Michael Caine’s first own car. Kane called himself “a real bourgeois nightmare— a smart Cockney and a million dollars,” which corresponds to the type of car he bought.
It was described as a luxury car, “finished with a superb blend of luxurious leather skins, rich wood veneer and deep sheepskin carpet”, and was known as “expensive”.
According to the BBC, the actor walked into the Jack Barclay showroom in London with a list of things to buy: “Milk, bread, newspaper, cigarettes, Rolls Royce,” but was knocked down because of his untidy appearance.
Later, Kane bought a car at another dealership.
Two years later, Sir Michael sold the car to nightclub owner Jack Leach, who owned the car for 43 years until his death in 2013.
Before the sale, the classic car underwent extensive restoration, and it was also repainted in its original black color.
Damian Jones, Senior Automotive Specialist at H&H Classics, said: “Sir Michael Caine is a true British icon, so I am very pleased to be able to put my first car up for sale, which in itself is another great British classic.”
In other news, Sir Michael Caine responded to claims that the 1964 film “Zulu” is part of a culture that “incites the far right.” “That’s the biggest bunch of nonsense I’ve ever heard,” he replied.
This week, the screen icon also celebrated its 90th anniversary. Present was “Free Women” star Denise Welch, who revealed a “dirty joke” she said would “piss off” Tom Cruise and Kane.
