A 1984 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible owned by Rat Pack legend Frank Sinatra and estimated at £105,000 to £125,000 is to be offered at auction for the very first time as part of the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale on 10th and 11th November during the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery.
Frank Sinatra is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide and as part of the Rat Pack, alongside Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, Sinatra forged an incredibly successful film and music career stretching across six decades.
“Frank Sinatra is a name that has remained prominent in the world of music and culture and even since his death in 1998, Sinatra’s films and music are still revered as some of the greatest of all time,” says Arwel Richards, classic car specialist at Silverstone Auctions. “Offering Ol’ Blue Eyes’ Rolls-Royce at auction for the first time in its history presents an amazing opportunity for film, music and car fans alike. The influence Sinatra still holds over the music and film industry to this day is real evidence of the respect and love he garnered throughout his career.”
Imported to the USA by Rolls-Royce on 13th November 1984 the car was presented to Sinatra for his 70th Birthday by fellow Rat Pack members Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin. The Corniche was ordered in Mason Black coachwork with a red leather interior and rear picnic tables, a rare addition on a convertible model. In 1990 Frank gifted the car to his assistant, Ingemar Fredriksson, to mark ten years of friendship and loyal service, who then used the car for commuting until his retirement in 1997.
When Sinatra passed away in 1998, Fredriksson and the Corniche returned to Europe, settling in southern Spain. While buying a house from our vendor the car was used as part payment and was placed in storage until our vendor brought it back to the UK and the Rolls was put through an extensive recommissioning programme at the hands of Performance and Prestige Cars Ltd, Marques Prestige Car Services, and Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialists Colbrook of Peterborough at a cost of £47,000.
The work completed was sympathetic to the car’s history. The wooden door cappings were refinished and the Mason Black paint was touched up in places to maintain the car’s classic lines and pristine aesthetic. The majority of the work undertaken related to the cars 6.7 litre engine, suspension and braking system. The car’s unique story is presented in a provenance record signed by Ingemar Fredriksson’s daughter Sibylla.
For more information on Frank Sinatra’s 1984 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible and the rest of the lots in the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale: http://www.silverstoneauctions.com/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-2018/view_lots/pn/all