Elton John’s 1990 Bentley Continental Crushes Target at Auction for 17x Estimated Price

A 1990s Bentley Continental convertible owned by Sir Elton John has shattered its pre-auction estimate in New York, making it the most expensive example to change hands – and by some margin.

The glorious 1990 car – which was bought by the music megastar in 1992 – was part of a collection of Elton John memorabilia offered to the highest bidder at the US auction organized by Christie’s.

While the collection fetched a whopping $8 million, the Bentley was the standout, beating its pre-sale estimate, which would sell for more than 17 times what the auction house said.

The two-door British classic is a special edition with a beautifully designed bodywork by Mulliner.

The left-hand drive example was purchased by the Rocketman singer in 1992 and cherished for years on both sides of the Atlantic.

Finished in stunning black paint with a black leather interior and a matching black soft-top roof, it features a 6.75-litre V8 engine under the extended bonnet – and a bum print on the driver’s seat of perhaps one of Britain’s most respected artists of modern times. era.

As such, the pre-sale estimate of $25,000 to $35,000 (that’s the equivalent of £19,825 to £27,750) was considered incredibly modest by experts.

And this proved to be the case when the hammer fell in the Big Apple last week, drawing telephone and online bids from 24 different collectors.

The final winning prize (including auction fees and taxes) was a whopping $441,000, which converts to £350,000.

That’s 1,664 percent more than Christie’s lower estimate – more than 17.5 times the lower pre-sale guide.

John Mayhead, editor of Hagerty’s Classic Car Price Guide, confirmed to This is Money that the winning bid was easily a new world record for this particular model.

In fact, it was almost double the highest amount previously paid for this generation of Bentley: a 1994 Continental IV that sold in Arizona in 2022 with just 15,100 miles on the odometer and changed hands for $296,500.

Speaking to Christie’s about his beloved motorcycle, Sir Elton revealed he loved it so much he transported it from the US to Europe.

‘When I first bought the black Bentley Continental in the 1990s, I was amazed by the beauty of the car. I also loved the sexy dark walnut interior and beautiful details. And the smell.

“Decades later, the car still smells the most wonderful smell from the buttery black leather seats,” he said.

The bike sat alongside a slew of items from the singer’s private home in Atlanta, including the Banksy Flower Thrower Triptych – a work that Elton John bought directly from the street artist and sold last week for a monumental $1.9 million (£1. 5 million).

A pair of Keith Haring paintings sold well above their estimate (almost $1.3 million combined), as did an asymmetrical Cartier 8K golf watch ($277,200) and a grand piano ($201,600), all of which had been in stores. ​or were on display at his premises on Peachtree Road. .

Yet it was the Bentley that John probably spoke of most fondly.

‘I drove the car for the first time in Los Angeles. I’ve done a lot of drives on the Pacific Coast Highway,” the Yellow Brick Road musician said.

“There’s no better place in California to ride in a convertible with the top down and the sea air blowing gently in your face. I especially remember a beautiful drive along the coast to San Simeon, with radio hits blasting out.

‘When I moved to Atlanta, I decided to take my beloved Bentley convertible with me. It caused quite a stir when I went into town with it.

‘I took a lot of trips to visit my favorite photo gallery as I started learning and building my photo collection. The balmy Atlanta weather and the sweet smell of magnolias were the perfect accompaniment to driving with the top turned south.

‘After a few summers at our home in the south of France, I decided it was time for the Bentley to cross the Atlantic and draw attention to the Côte d’Azur.

‘We’ve taken countless trips up and down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, the twinkling stars leading us to our favorite restaurant.

‘Every time I went shopping in Monaco, we valet parked the car at Hotel de Paris.

‘The doormen always gave the Bentley a top position on the forecourt of the hotel.

“Every time we came back to pick up the car, there was a small group of tourists having their pictures taken next to the elegant beauty.”

John Mayhead says that while the car itself is from an era that is increasingly in demand in the classic car world, there’s no denying that Elton’s ownership is the reason the price not only eclipses the pre-sale estimate, but also overshadows the price. average value of these vehicles today.

‘Elton is known for his love of cars and he was especially passionate about this one. He described it as his ‘beloved’ Continental and raved about how great it looked.

‘This provenance gave it a huge boost when it hit the stage.

‘Hagerty tracks the value that celebrity ownership adds to cars through the annual Power List, and this will be the 18th sale of Elton’s cars that our team has tracked (which happens to be the third highest number, behind only Steve McQueen and Paul Walker).

‘The average increase of Elton’s other cars over a standard equivalent was 115 percent. This sale was a whopping 372 percent above the Hagerty Price Guide’s “excellent” value of $96,500. That’s a big number.’