A Rolls-Royce car described as 'one of the finest ever built' has sold for a world record price of almost ufffd5 million (Rs 42.5 crore) in an auction that was described as pure theatre.
The unique 100-year-old Silver Ghost manages 15 miles to the gallon and is said to still be capable of “cruising” at 60mph.u00a0The car was originally bought in 1912 for about £1,000 (Rs 85,200). It has now gone under the hammer for £4,705,500 (Rs 40 crore); the most expensive Rolls-Royce ever sold at auction. The lengthy sale saw two enthusiasts duelling for the car, with the bidding going up in increments of £100,000
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(Rs 85 lakh).u00a0Those present at the Bonhams sale were said to have looked on in hushed tones, breaking out in spontaneous applause when the hammer finally fell.u00a0The car was sold following the death of its American owner and will be leaving these shores again to be with its new anonymous buyer. u00a0The Rolls-Royce still had its headlights, carriage lights, rear lights and inflatable tyres, and it still runs almost silently. James Knight, from Bonhams, said: “This was a surprise to us — we thought it would make around £2 million. There u00a0were three bidders then one of them dropped out. It went u00a0on and on and on and was the longest car sale I have ever witnessed. It was pure theatre.”