Rolling Stones' Pontiac makes almost $60K at UK auction

What set this particular Pontiac apart was its former owner - Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards. If the Rolling Stones connection wasn't enough, there was also a literary link with this vehicle, as the first owner, an American academic living in France, was a neighbour of writer Somerset Maugham. That academic owned the car until at least 1963, but its history between then and Richards' purchase is unconfirmed.

In 1971, the Stones relocated to the Cote d'Azur to record new material and escape punitive British tax laws, and Richards purchased the convertible, in France, in November that year. Richards reportedly used the Pontiac to transport band members, family and friends around his home 'Villa Nellcote' at Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice. During this time, the classic Rolling Stones album Exile on Main Street was recorded in a makeshift studio setup in the basement of Villa Nellcote.

In early 1975, the car was re-registered in the UK, still in Richards' possession, before passing into the hands of the current owner and vendor in 1985.

A well-preserved, but certainly not concours example, the Pontiac features a stock 4.4 litre straight 8 engine, which was rebuilt in 2008, and column-shift automatic transmission. Finished in deep blue paint with a cream convertible roof and whitewall tyres, the Chieftain featured bench seats and blue carpets, that while still fully usable, would benefit from some refreshing.

When new, this convertible was the most expensive Pontiac available for 1950, and being a Chieftain DeLuxe, sat above the six cylinder models as well as the Streamliner Eight as the most opulently trimmed and equipped Pontiac for that year.

Documentation of Richards' past ownership, including UK registration and sales receipts, were included with the car, which may have been a factor in the impressive price it fetched at Hendon. Against a pre-auction estimate of no more than $20,000 (AU$31,600), the Pontiac Chieftain convertible sold for $37,950 (AU$59,966), an impressive price by any measure.

Across the entire Bonhams Hendon auction, held on April 30, the clearance rate was 86 percent for a total sale figure of over $2 million (AU$3.14M). Top seller was a 1957 Bentley S Series Continental, which made $191,900 (AU$302,000).

More details on the 'Rolling Stones Pontiac' and other lots from this auction can be found at www.bonhams.com

Image courtesy of Bonhams UK