King Charles’s electric Jaguar to fetch £70,000 at auction
A Jaguar I-Pace once owned by King Charles III is set to be auctioned off next month.
The 2018 range-topping HSE model was the Royal Family’s first electric car and is expected to sell for several times the value of a similar car without royal provenance.
Due to go under the hammer at Historics Auctioneers’ sale at Ascot Racecourse on 2 March, the sporting SUV is being offered with an estimated value of £55,000 to £70,000, meaning it could sell for more than its purchase price of £60,000.
The King bought the car directly from Jaguar in April 2018, as soon as the model went on sale and used it sparingly for his own personal use over the next three years. After taking delivery of the car in its original Eiger Grey, he requested that it be painted in his favourite colour – Loire Blue. Jaguar subsequently resprayed the car in his chosen colour, making it the only I-Pace finished in this particular shade.
Having driven the car himself and been driven to various functions in it, the King returned the car to Jaguar in 2020 with just 3,000 miles on the clock and it entered the manufacturer’s regular used sales system.
The car’s current owner, Karen French, was initially attracted by the car’s specification, including its Light Oyster Windsor leather and low mileage. She was unaware of its famous former keeper, which was not mentioned in the advert. She commented: “This I-Pace was exactly what I was looking for and pretty much on my doorstep. It was only when I agreed to buy it that I discovered its extraordinary history – I was absolutely thrilled.
“Having driven it over 30,000 miles,I decided in the New Year that it was time for a change.”
The I-Pace was Jaguar’s first electric car and was praised at launch for its sharp handling, 395bhp all-wheel-drive system and 90kWh battery which offered a range of up to 300 miles.
Historics’ head of auctions, Mathew Priddy, emphasised the car’s enduring collector car value, stating: “We are thrilled to bring this royal icon to auction. It’s an unrepeatable piece of electric motoring history. With the Jaguar I-Pace being discontinued ahead of Jaguar’s re-launch in 2025, this will remain surely the most significant example, which will be reflected in its increasing value.”
