Auctioning precious items and memorabilia for charity can be a great way of donating to a good cause. Cars in particular can fetch high prices, especially vehicles that are tied with celebrities. This was the case with a McLaren 570S Spider that was donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and then sold for an impressive £725,000.
The car was bought by an anonymous bidder at Sir Elton’s Argento Ball at his home in Berkshire. This was well over the £560,000 sticker price. The Spider is a special one-off edition, featuring a Blade Silver metallic paint job. It has stealth alloys and McLaren orange brake calipers. It has a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 that means the car can reach a top speed of 196 mph. The plush interior is a ‘By McLaren Sport’ spec, with jet black nappa leather and carbon black stitching. There’s also a high-tech 10-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system.
The bidder was also given a personal tour of the McLaren Technology Centre by Bruce McLaren’s daughter, Amanda. She also signed the car to add some extra value. The sale of the 570S Spider is an exciting moment for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. All the money is being donated towards providing an AIDS-free future.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation has been running for 25 years and the 570S was coloured silver in order to mark the silver anniversary. The charity helps people across 26 countries deal with HIV, providing information, support and care. The organisation has helped to prevent one million babies being born with the HIV virus.
This marks the first time McLaren have donated a car to a charity, which highlights the amazing work that’s being done by the company.
image credit: motoringresearch.com
