Royal-wedding Cadillac, Maserati film car at Bonhams Zoute auction

The Caddy convertible was the wedding car for King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium

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The Cadillac convertible wears its specially made Plexiglas 'bubble top' | Bonhams photos

A 1954 Cadillac convertible that served as the royal wedding car for the king and queen of Belgium is among the highlights of the Bonhams auction October 10 in Zoute, Belgium. 

While not among the higher-valued offerings at the Bonhams auction, the Cadillac gains added status because of its orginal ownership by the Belgian royal family, and having transported newlyweds King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola from their December 1960 ceremony. 

Bonhams
The Cadillac at the wedding of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola in 1960

The Cadillac Series 62 – actually a 1955 model delivered in 1954 – was frequently used by the royals as the “state limousine” and participated over the years in many official  occasions, sometimes fitted with a custom Plexiglas “bubble top.”  The convertible also served as the official parade car for the City of Brussels for about 12 years, and appears in period newsreel footage of various governmental events.

The Bonhams pre-auction estimated value for the Cadillac, which has been restored to its royal appearance including the bubble top, is €70,000 to €90,000 ($81,860 to $105,000). 

The 1964 Maserati was a movie car and royalty owned

Another brush with royalty is offered at Bonhams by a 1964 Maserati 3.5-Litre Mistral Spyder, which not only was owned by Saudi Prince Sultan Bin Saoud, but before his ownership appeared in the surreal 1965 film Juliet of the Spirits by Italian director Federico Fellini.

The Maserati’s own history could be the subject of a film. After its ownership by the Saudi prince, the sports car wound up in Beirut, Lebanon, where it changed hands several times before being damaged in the civil war of 1975.  The car was rescued in 1988 and has received extensive restoration, Bonhams says.

The Maserati is valued at €350,000 to €400,000 ($409,000 to $467,760). 

The Bugatti EB110 is expected to be the top-selling auction car

The top-valued car at the Bonhams auction is a 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, one of just 30 built and estimated at €2 million to €2.5 million ($2.34 million to $2.92 million).

Also on the docket is a 1989 Ferrari F40 Berlinetta, a one-owner time-warp supercar driven just 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) from new, valued at €1 million to €1.5 million ($1.17 million to $1.75 million); a rare 1970 Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Spyder, valued at €500,000 to €700,000 ($585,000 to $819,000); and a 1954 Lancia B24S Spider America roadster, valued at €800,000 to €1 million ($936,000 to $1.17 million).

The Ferrari F40 has been driven just over 1,000 miles

Bonhams’ Zoute auction, held along the beach in front of the central Albert Square in Knokke-Le-Zoute, is one of the events and activities held during Zoute Grand Prix week.

For more information, visit the Bonhams Zoute auction website.

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