A 1996 Mercedes is set to sell for more than £50,000 at auction after its owner lost her car keys and didn’t drive it – for 21 YEARS.
The lady who owned the SL500 sports car parked it in a garage in Knightsbridge, central London, having driven it just 75 miles.
But she somehow lost the keys to her birthday present and, instead of getting a replacement set, decided to never drive it again.
As a result, the 21-year-old car is in brand-new condition and is expected to sell for £55,000 on Wednesday when it is auctioned by Coys at the Royal Horticultural Society in London.
This is around TEN TIMES the price of a normal SL500 of the same age.
The car now has a set of keys and is being sold with a letter from the lady’s butler verifying its mileage and provenance.
Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys, said:
“This is a car with a fantastic story. Purchased as a birthday present and driven only 80 miles before the owner lost the keys and never drove it again.
“It even comes with a letter written by the owner’s butler verifying its mileage and its provenance.”
“It even comes with a letter written by the owner’s butler verifying its mileage and its provenance.”
Mr Routledge added:
“Had she not lost the keys and used it regularly, we estimate it would now be worth between £5,000 and £7,000, but the fact that it has kept such a low mileage and has not been driven in more than 20 years makes it worth between £45,000 and £55,000.
“What happened with the keys remains a mystery but the car comes with new keys for the new owner.”
“What happened with the keys remains a mystery but the car comes with new keys for the new owner.”
