Auction house asks ‘how deep are your pockets’ as Maurice Gibb’s Rolls-Royce sells for £98,000

MAURICE Gibb’s Rolls-Royce has sold for £98,000 with the auction house asking “how deep are your pockets”.

The late Bee Gees star’s beloved Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible went under the hammer yesterday with Silverstone Auctions.

3

3

3

During the live sale, the auction house were aiming to sell the highly-collectable vehicle for a guide price of around £100,000 to £115,000.

The classic car has around 53,000 miles on the clock and is sold together with Maurice’s private registration plate “9829 MG”.

The pop star tragically died in 2003 at the age of 53, but the car remained in the family until 2012.

The Stayin’ Alive singer, who topped the charts across the globe with his brothers Barry and Robin, bought the 1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche in 1979 as part of his collection from the classic British marque.

Silverstone Auctions said: “When Maurice Gibb walked into the HR Owen showroom at Melton Court in South Kensington on the 17th April 1979 and saw this 1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible in Masons Black with a St James red leather interior showing 30,214 miles, he parted with the incredible sum of £35,000.

“Bearing in mind that this was a six-year old car with 30,000 miles, he paid over three times the car’s list price when new, or double the price of a contemporary Ferrari 308 with change left over for a brand new Ford Capri!”

Since then it has undergone around £35,000 of restoration and repair, which include a new upgraded interior and dark red mohair power hood.

The Bee Gees spent their early years in Manchester but emigrated to Australia as children and found fame Down Under, before dominating the charts during the 1970s and 1980s.

Smash hits such as Night Fever, Jive Talkin’, How Deep Is Your Love and More Than a Woman earned them enough money to live a lavish lifestyle.

Like many rock stars, Maurice developed a passion for Rolls-Royce and also owned a 1964 Silver Cloud convertible, a 1948 Silver Wraith, plus a Silver Shadow.

Vipul Dave, Specialist Cars Manager at Select Car Leasing – who helps motorists get behind the wheel of high-class and luxurious motors rightly predicted that the eye-catching classic car was likely to generate some serious interest.

He said: “There can’t be many people who wouldn’t want to experience the unadulterated luxury of driving one of the premium British marques – and this Corniche is no ordinary Rolls-Royce.

“The thought of cruising along, top down and the wind in your hair, with some classic Bee Gees hits pumping out of the stereo is enough to thrill both music and motoring fans.” 

Other lots at the classic car auction staged at the famous Northamptonshire racing circuit included Princess Diana’s much-loved black Ford Escort RS Turbo that she drove from 1985 to 1988 that went for £650,000.

The nippy motor ferried around young princes William and Harry, and always had a detective in the passenger seat as part of Diana’s security detail.