Noel Gallagher's 1978 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, in which he arrived at the 'Cool Britannia' reception at 10 Downing Street, could fetch £30,000 at auction. The car was gifted to the Oasis star by Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who had signed the band.
Despite the lavish gift, Gallagher never actually drove the car himself, as he never learned to drive. The vehicle's most memorable public appearance came on July 30, 1997, when Gallagher and his then wife Meg Matthews were driven to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Gift from Alan McGee
Speaking at the time, McGee explained the gesture: “Noel had always said he wanted a Rolls-Royce if he ever made it, and I suddenly thought why not get him one? He’s sold six million records in the last year – if that’s what the guy wants I’ll buy him a Rolls-Royce. I just loved it as a rock’n’roll gesture.”
Gallagher previously summed up the gift with characteristic humour, famously saying in the mid-Nineties: "Liam got a Rolex. I got a Rolls-Royce. Which is brilliant, 'cos I can't drive, and Liam can't tell the time."
Condition and history
Iconic Auctioneers say that, after being unused by Gallagher for a period, the vehicle passed to its current owner in 2012. In the sale description they said: "During the last 14 years it has been stored indoors, professionally repainted in the correct period Chestnut finish, fitted with a new Everflex roof, new carpets and white-wall tyres, and routinely maintained by an ex-Rolls-Royce mechanic. Its indicated mileage is currently 63,700 miles."
Some of the original paperwork with Noel's signature on it as the original registered owner is also included. Joe Watts, Car Specialist at Iconic Auctioneers, said: "There are celebrity-owned cars, and then there are cars that become part of the celebrity's defining image. This Rolls-Royce was Noel Gallagher's dream car, bought for him at the height of Oasis' success, and it later carried him to one of the defining cultural events of the 1990s. It's also a fitting reminder that a great collector car is so often defined by its story, and DEV 851T has quite a story."
Auction details
The car carries an estimate of £25,000 - £30,000, and will be auctioned at The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show on November 14.
