HOW’S ABOUT THAT THEN? JIMMY SAVILE’S ROLLS AND ISETTA TO BE AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY BY DREWEATTS, JULY 30
It is well known that the cigar-puffing, marathon-running star of Jim’ll Fix It and Top of the Pops, Sir Jimmy Savile OBE KCSG, hoarded countless souvenirs of his extraordinary 85-year life. Now, in accordance with his wishes, a major percentage of that amazing collection (550 lots from cigars to male jewellery) is being auctioned by Dreweatts in favour of the Sir Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust at Saviles Hall Leeds on July 30. The star lot is likely to be Sir Jimmy’s beloved Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible, though his famous yellow BMW Isetta bubble car will surely be quite a draw too.
The 2002 Corniche is number 46 of the 56 so-called ‘Last of Line’ models produced by Rolls-Royce to mark the end of 56 years of production at its Crewe plant – a related commemorative plaque is mounted on the centre console. It is one of only nine built in righthand drive and carries the registration JS 247 – 247 metres medium wave being the frequency on which Radio 1 was broadcast from 1967 to 1978. Immaculately presented in silver teamed with a cream leather interior, the car is understood to have covered just 4,420 miles from new and is estimated to fetch between £60,000 and £90,000.
Sir Jimmy purchased the BMW Isetta 300 Plus in 1965 while a resident DJ at the New Elizabethan Ballroom, Belle Vue, Manchester. It has apparently had a full body restoration by Lee Turnham, the Isetta Owners’ Club registrar, and comes complete with the roof-mounted orange warning light fitted by the owner after he and the car had nearly been flattened by a lorry whose driver had failed to see them. Among those to have accompanied Sir Jimmy in the Isetta is the Duke of Edinburgh, who Savile apparently collected from Aylesbury railway station – the Duke’s reaction was not recorded! The Isetta carries an estimate of £5,000-8,000.
