The black Ford Escort RS Turbo, driven by Diana from August 23, 1985 to May 1, 1988, was sold to a UK buyer at Silverstone Auctions’ sale on Saturday. Diana has previously been photographed in the RS Turbo Series 1 outside Chelsea boutiques and Kensington restaurants. She preferred to drive her own car and had a member of the Royal Guard (SO14) in the passenger seat. The car is believed to be unique as the first and only black RS Turbo Series 1, as agreed by S014 and Ford’s PR department for discretionary reasons, instead of the white build model. Ford’s factory special vehicle engineering department was tasked with supplying the car and fitted a standard five-bar front grille to aid in the ‘stealth makeover’. There was also a secondary rearview mirror for the security officer and a radio in the glove box, with the wire still visible. The car has just 24,961 miles on the clock. In June 2021, another Ford Escort used by Diana sold at auction for £52,000. Arwel Richards, classic car specialist at Silverstone Auctions, said it was “an incredible result” with “hard bidding” and a packed room. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “The car exceeded all expectations,” he said, adding that it was a “top 10 world record for its type.” Mr Richards said: “The sale price of £650,000 plus 12.5% buyer’s premium shows that a unique Ford can sell for supercar money.”
