A vintage Ford Thunderbird, that was owned by the cultural symbol Marilyn Monroe will be put on auction in November. The auction entitled “Icons & Idols: Hollywood” will be held by pop-culture auction specialists Julien’s Auction. Monroe, who was easily one of the most well-known actresses’ of the century, shot to fame in the early 1950s and is considered a symbol of American culture of the era.
Interestingly, like the actress herself the Ford Thunderbird was one of the most popular cars of the 1950s, however, despite dwindling demand, the model continued for 51 years until the last one was produced in 2005. The car, however, that defined the Thunderbird brand was perhaps the best remembered for bridging the gap between classic roadsters and personal luxury cars, creating a new market niche all-together. Monroe herself drove the car for almost 6-years until she later gifted it as the 18th Birthday present to her acting tutor Lee Strasberg, just 6-months before her untimely death. This will be the next time the car changes hands after it will be auctioned on November 17th almost half a century later. The car itself has been thoroughly restored with careful attention to detail, using as many chronographically authentic parts as possible.
“Once in a while something comes along that has a powerful magic about it, a charisma, because of everything and everyone associated with it,” stated Darren Julien, CEO of Julien’s Auctions, consignor of Monroe’s car. “This wonderful black Ford Thunderbird is not only part of automotive history but comes with an aura of glamour, romance and tragedy of a true Hollywood legend. It will make the centrepiece of any classic car collection and be an object of fascination to millions.”
At present, Juliens’ Auction predicts the car will sell for between $300,000 to $500,000 USD or Rs 2.21 crore and Rs 3.68 crore. However, considering Monroe’s prominence and the fact that she drove the car herself could result in a bidding war that will see this number go much, much higher than predicted.
Source: The Drive
