The winning bidder did not back down.
A 1965 Ford Mustang owned by the late rock star Tom Petty was sold at the Bonhams Monterey auction in California on Saturday for $224,000.
The red and white convertible was being offered by Petty’s estate. He had purchased it in 2002 as a gift for his wife Dana who had an affection for the classic model.
“Tommy understood my deep passion for cars, a love that stemmed from being raised near GM’s Fisher Body Plant #1 where my family had a longstanding connection. American-made vehicles held a special place in our hearts,” Dana Petty said of the car, according to Best Classic Brands.
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“So on this memorable Christmas morning, a year and a half after we were married, Tommy orchestrated an unforgettable surprise. As I stepped onto the front porch, a vibrant red Mustang convertible rolled up the driveway, leaving me speechless with its beauty. To my astonishment, Tommy revealed that this stunning car was now ours to enjoy. Its manufacture date, in April 1964, aligned almost perfectly with my birth month and year, May 1964, creating an incredibly special bond between us.”
The car is an early build that’s often referred to as a 1964.5 car and has a 289 V8 and four-speed automatic transmission. It was restored before Petty purchased it and is currently in fine shape, but shows some use.
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The one modern touch that was added to it is a Kenwood AM/FM/Cassette player that was installed by a previous owner, but seems appropriate for car owned by a musician who’s career skyrocketed in the 1980s.
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Bonhams had put a pre-auction estimate of $25,000 to $35,000 on the car, but that didn’t seem to take into account its celebrity provenance. The final bid was $200,000 and came from an online bidder, but auction fees brought the sale price to $224,000.