Jay Kay is about to say goodbye to his beloved 1950s Bentley convertible that he has cherished for 20 years and even featured in one of his popular music videos.
The Jamiroquai frontman – who is a well-known petrolhead – says goodbye to his exceptionally rare 1958 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupé, which appeared in the 2002 music video for hit Love folly.
After Jay Kay bought the classic motorcycle a few months before shooting the video, he kept the vehicle in his garage of exotic vehicles for 22 years.
Interested parties are being asked to bid for the private sale straight from the singer’s motorcycle collection – and although it’s listed as ‘price on request’, it will probably take a bid in excess of £1million to sell the keys to the drop-top Bentley.
Virtual Insanity: Jay Kay sells his 1958 Bentley, made famous in the 2002 music video for Love Foolosophy. The asking price is expected to be well into the seven figures
The car featured in the 2002 music video shot in Marbella with singer and model Heidi Klum
The stunning British car was the focus of Jamiroquai’s music video shot in Marbella, Spain, featuring the singer, model Heidi Klum and an Afghan Hound.
It is one of only 94 S1 Drophead Coupés built and one of only 55 right-hand drive units produced.
It has been described by classic car enthusiasts as ‘the most desirable post-war Bentley design’.
Unlike most Bentley convertibles produced in this era, the D1 Drophead Coupé was not a modification of the factory design, but rather a completely bespoke body, hand-built from the ground up from aluminum by Park’s craftsmen Ward.
Given that a left hand drive 1958 Bentley Drophead was sold in Monterey, Californialast year by Sotheby’s for $1,875,000 (about £1.4 million), this famous example is likely to top that figure.
Love Foolosophy, the third single from the 2001 album A Funk Odyssey, is Jamiroquai’s 10th best-selling single of all time
A younger Jay Kay – real name Jason Luis Cheetham – pictured at the wheel of his beloved Bentley in the video shot in Marbella, Spain
The Virtual Insanity star even left one of his tape’s cassettes in the driver’s door.
Known for his love of flash motorcycles, the Jamiroquai singer – real name Jason Luis Cheetham – currently has over 50 in his collection – including a Ferrari Enzo and a Lamborghini Miura SV.
But the Bentley is considered the first high-performance motorcycle he bought and the one he kept in his private garage the longest.
It has just 39,032 miles on it, with only 7,000 reportedly done by Jay Kay.
Under the hood is a roaring 4.9-liter six-cylinder in-line engine, which offers a lot of power considering its age.
It can sprint to 100 km/h from a standstill in 13.1 seconds and has a top speed of 199 km/h – well, that’s what Bentley said 65 years ago.
It is one of only 94 S1 Drophead Coupés built and one of only 55 produced in right-hand drive
Under the hood is a roaring 4.9 liter six-cylinder in-line engine. It is said to reach 100 km/h from a standstill in 13.1 seconds and a top speed of 199 km/h
The Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupé has been described by classic car enthusiasts as ‘the most desirable post-war Bentley design’
Considering that a similar 1958 left-hand drive example sold in Monterey for around £1.4 million last year, this famous example is likely to surpass that figure
The singer bought the car in 2001 and a year later became widely recognized for starring in his music video for the song which reached number 14 in the UK charts.
In the door pocket is another cassette tape that reads: ‘Jamiroquai ‘Little L’, Radio Edit, 2, Wounded Buffalo Remix’.
Little L peaked at number 5 on the charts and was on the verge of his divorce from TV star Denise van Outen.
The Bentley is sold by RM Sotheby’s in Chobham, Surrey.
The Jamiroquai frontman is known for his love of flash bikes and currently has over 50 in his collection. The Bentley is one of the bikes he has had in his garage the longest
It has only 39,032 miles on it, with only 7,000 reportedly done by Jay Kay
In the door pocket is another cassette tape that reads: ‘Jamiroquai ‘Little L’, Radio Edit, 2, Wounded Buffalo Remix’. Little L peaked at No. 5 on the charts and was on the brink of divorce from TV star Denise van Outen
RM Sotheby’s goes on to say that the singer has ‘tried to have the Bentley in perfect working order’ and has driven it 2,000 miles in the last 12 months.
Collectors have the opportunity to bid on the car from the singer’s private collection
The singer bought the car in 2001 and a year later became widely recognized for starring in his music video for the song which reached number 14 in the UK charts.
The music video is remembered for featuring Jay Kay, Heidi Klum, and the Afghan Hound extensively
The sales list reads: By the late 1990s, Jamiroquai had risen to international stardom, ranking as the third best-selling British artist of the decade behind the Spice Girls and Oasis.
With their fifth studio album, A Funk Odyssey, set to be released in September 2001 to critical acclaim and commercial success, frontman Jay Kay was finally able to indulge in the second passion of his life, cars.
When he wanted to buy a Bentley at the end of 2000, Jay Kay was faced with the choice between buying this car or a ‘modern’ Continental.
“For him, the decision was easy after experiencing both. Attracted by the inherent charm and attractive colors of this car, Jay purchased chassis BC40EL in January 2001 from renowned Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialists at P&A Wood in Essex.
“This would become one of the first vehicles in his now famous collection, and is one of the longest lasting.”
RM Sotheby’s goes on to say that the singer has ‘tried to have the Bentley in perfect working order’ and that it has been used extensively in recent months having covered around 2,000 miles in the last 12 months.
The extensive history file includes numerous MOTs and maintenance invoices from Jay’s property, with less than 5,000 miles since the video.
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