ダイアナ元妃の車、８１０万円で落札　皇太子からの婚約記念品

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英国の故ダイアナ元皇太子妃が所有していた乗用車が２９日、競売にかけられ、税金・手数料込みで５万２６４０ポンド（約８１０万円）で落札された。（写真は英国の故ダイアナ元皇太子妃が所有していたフォード・エスコートのボンネットに付けられたカエルのマスコット。競売会社リーマン・ダンシー・オークションズ提供）
　車は銀色のフォード・エスコートで、チャールズ皇太子が結婚２か月前の１９８１年５月に婚約を記念して贈っていた。
　元妃の所有時と同じ「ＷＥＶ ２９７Ｗ」のナンバープレート付きで、塗装や車内の座席などもほぼ当時のまま。走行距離は１３万３５７５キロで、予想落札価格は３万～４万ポンド（約４６０万～６１０万円）だった。
　英イングランド南西部コルチェスターのリーマン・ダンシー・オークションズのルイス・ラベット氏によると、落札したのは、南米の美術館。ラベット氏は、「南米からの参加者が落札したことは、この車が世界的な関心を集めてきた証拠だ」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/06/30-13:25）

A Ford Escort that once belonged to Diana, princess of Wales, was sold on Tuesday to a South American museum for more than £50,000 ($69,200, 58,100 euros).
The silver 1.6L Ghia saloon was given by Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer as an engagement present in May 1981, two months before their fairytale wedding at St Paul's Cathedral.
The vehicle, which was bought at auction for £6,000 by an antiques dealer in 1982, was sold to a telephone bidder for £52,640, including sales tax and buyer's premium.
Lewis Rabett, of Reeman Dansie Auctions in Colchester, southeast England, said the successful bidder was a museum in South America, where the car will now be shipped.
The interest has been considerable pre-auction. Ending up in South America is testament to the level of interest globally that there has been in the car, he added.
The car still has its original British registration plate WEV 297W, paint and upholstery and has 83,000 miles (133,575 kilometres) on the clock.
It had been expected to sell for between £30,000 and £40,000.
Diana died aged 36 in a high-speed car crash in Paris in August 1997 as she tried to escape paparazzi photographers on motorbikes.
Her sons, princes William and Harry, will on Thursday unveil a new statue at her former Kensington Palace home in London on what would have been her 60th birthday.