Concorde seats favoured by celebs bought for 'world record' amount from Northamptonshire auctioneers
A 'fierce and prolonged bidding war' at a Northamptonshire auctioneers ended in a pair of Concorde seats being sold for a 'world record' amount.
Seats 1C and 1D, used by Princess Diana, Michael Jackson and Kylie Minogue before they were removed in 2002, were bought for £8,600 from Humbert and Ellis Auctioneers.
They were situated opposite the Machmeter, showing the speed of the iconic aircraft, and were the most requested seats, according to a letter of provenance from British Airways Concorde pilot Captain Benson.
Jonathan Humbert from the Towcester auctioneers said: "The seats, estimated £1,500-2,500, were subject to a fierce and prolonged bidding war online between a UK bidder and the eventual successful buyer in Switzerland, taking over 10 minutes to auction and eventually selling for £8,600 including buyers premium."
Concorde was famous for having a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound, meaning it could fly from London to New York City in three hours.
The aircraft, operated by British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003, became synonymous with the rich and famous, with the Queen Mother among its VIP fans.