You could buy Diana’s engagement gift from Charles this month

After being owned by a ‘great admirer’ of Princess Diana for 20 years, the late royal’s Ford Escort is going up for auction at the end of this month. Diana only used the car for just over a year—but it will be very familiar to royal fans as it was her engagement present from Prince Charles and she was often photographed driving it.

Princess Diana’s Ford Escort

The car features its original paintwork, upholstery and licence plate. It even features a 1980s Ford radio—so anyone driving the vehicle will experience the car just as Diana did. The Ford also comes with a silver frog statuette on its bonnet—a replica of the one given to Diana as a wedding gift by her sister Lady Sarah Spencer.

Lewis Rabett of Reeman Dansie auctioneers said:

The car has been dry stored for quite a few years. This is really nice because keeping it stored in a dry barn or garage has kept it in a really nice condition. Escorts of that age weren't like modern cars with really good galvanizing and rust proofing, so a lot of them have just rusted away. Now, 40 years later, you don't tend to find Escorts at all, let alone ones with the provenance of this car.

He added that driving the car is ‘a lovely step back in time’. He said:

It was very surreal to sit behind the wheel and think who would have been there at an early part of her life when she was young and before she went on to do all that she did in her unfortunately very short life.

How much will Princess Diana’s car sell for?

If you’re hoping to be the next owner of this part of royal history, you’ll have to have a fair few quid to spare. The car is expected to be sold for between £30,000 and £40,000. Last year, Princess Diana’s dark green Audi convertible, which she drove in the 1990s, fetched £58,000 at auction.