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Eric Morecambe's beloved Rolls-Royce goes up for auction

Tuesday, 8 August 2023 09:10

By Greg Lambert X @greglam72

Eric Morecambe with his comedy partner Ernie Wise

A Rolls-Royce owned by the great comedian Eric Morecambe will go up for auction later this month.

The 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is being offered at a guide price of between £35,000 and £40,000 by Silverstone Auctions of Leamington Spa.

The Morecambe and Wise star bought the car new on October 11 1974 and used it until his death, aged 58, in 1984.

The unrestored Rolls is being offered for auction with its classic 'EM 100' personalised number plate.

Arwel Richards, from Silverstone Auctions, said Eric "loved the car" and it was a "status symbol" as well as a comfortable car in which the comedian travelled to live shows, TV broadcasts or for a family day out.

LISTEN to our interview with Arwel Richards from Silverstone Auctions

Here is the 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, which goes up for auction on August 26.

"He loved the car because he still had it when he sadly passed away in 1984," said Mr Richards.

"The car was then sold at auction in 2004 and my vendor bought it directly from the people who bought it.

"A Rolls-Royce was a status symbol and a comfortable car to take your family in.

"Everybody I've spoken to about this car have spent a lot of time telling me how much they loved Eric. 

"He's just one of those genuinely funny people."

The Morecambe-born TV comedian bought his first Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in 1972. This car was saved from the scrapyard in 2009 and restored by local businessman Peter Yates.

Eric's second Silver Shadow, finished in walnut brown with a beige interior, is the one being auctioned. 

The cars were driven by Eric's chauffeur and friend, Mike Fountain, who later made Morecambe his home. He died in 2022.

In his book, 'Driving Mr Morecambe', Mike Fountain said: "It was a wonderful vehicle to drive. Elegant, smooth, great to handle and a pleasure to clean - most of the time.

"The times I have washed and cleaned that car, polished it, fuelled it, on the odd occasion fixed it. It was almost like part of the family.

"It was sold with Eric's eight-track system and collection of music tapes, including Shirley Bassey and Frank Zappa."

Silverstone Auctions said: "Having never been restored, the bodywork and chrome bumpers present as one might expect, the beige leather has aged well and the lambswool rugs are pleasingly still in place although the walnut veneers show the usual bloom of old lacquer. With bills of £15,000 over the last 10 years, the mechanical aspects of the car appear to have been maintained to a very high standard."

The car goes up for auction on August 26 at 11am, with more details at the Silverstone Auctions website.

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