The Beatles frontman snapped up the swish 600 Pullman limo new in 1970.
8
8
8
One of only 39 of the same spec ever produced, the car has passed through a who’s who of celebrity owners and is now being sold for an undisclosed six-figure sum.
Inside, it boasts four plush seats facing one another inside a spacious rear cabin decked out in Merc’s iconic polished wood and leather decor.
This is then separated from the driver area by a glass partition, allowing passengers some extra discretion and privacy.
It also features several added extras that Lennon purchased with the car, including a Blaupunkt radio and Philips-Mignon record player, as well as an expensive speaker system.
A 600 Pullman would have cost around £19,000 at the time, which is equal to about £248,000 today.
However, this one is likely to exceed even that sum given its unique history.
It was used regularly by Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, with the pair being spotted arriving to Ono’s 1971 book launch in it.
However, the pair soon relocated to the US following the breakup of the Beatles.
At that point, it was sold to the star’s bandmate George Harrison, who kept it at his Oxfordshire home for several years.
That was until he invited Motown legend Mary Wilson and her husband Pedro Ferrer in 1975.
In her diary, the soul singer recalled being awe-struck by the motor during a tour of Harrison’s property and she became determined to buy it.
She then owned it until 1989, when it was sold at Christie’s to Jarmo Hellas, from the International Pullman Group.
He in turn sold it back to Mercedes for a full restoration before it was purchased by the current owner, an unnamed collector, in 2007.
When did the Beatles break up
The Beatles broke fans’ hearts when the band members went their separate ways after a decade on top of the music industry,
One of the first British bands to properly crack America and a cultural phenomenon at home, the Liverpool-based group is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time.
The quartet, formed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, called it quits in 1970 amid rumblings of tension within the band.
Lennon’s drug use and relationship with Yoko Ono, the death of manager Brian Epstein and a well-publicised legal dispute over McCartney’s first solo album are all cited as contributing factors to the dissolution of the Beatles.
For a more in-depth look into the story of the split, you can read our explainer on the subject.
A spokesperson for auction house Tom Hartley Jr. said: “Chassis 001580 is one of the rare right-hand drive, four-door 600 Pullmans and it is surely the most important 600 ever built.
“It was ordered and owned new by music legend and cultural icon John Lennon and was equipped with a whole host of extras befitting one of the greatest music stars of all time.
“When you consider its first three owners, all from true music royalty, and the first owner being an icon of the 20th century, it should then really not only be viewed as an important car, but also a unique opportunity to purchase a very special piece of history.”
8
8
8
8
8