A classic Jaguar owned by a Lord of the Rings star could be yours for just £75,000.
The stunning 1972 Jaguar E-Type convertible formerly owned by John Rhys-Davies – aka Gimli from the Lord of the Rings – is up for auction in Perth later this month.
The “pale primrose yellow” Jag goes under the hammer at Morris Leslie Group auctions at the end of August and is expected to make between £75,000 and £80,000.
The iconic sports car was originally sold in St. Louis, Missouri by Continental Cars in 1973 before being sold to a number of owners in Wyoming, Chicago and California.
It was eventually bought by Mr Rhys-Davies 12 years ago who kept it at his Hollywood home before exporting it to New Zealand where he was filming for Lord of the Rings.
As an avid collector of vintage vehicles the 72 year old actor partially restored the interior of the car and converted it from left-hand-drive over to right-hand drive around 10 years ago at considerable cost.
This particular model, the Series III, was one of the last installments of the historic E-Type and was launched in 1971.
It was the only series produced that came with the option of an automatic gearbox.
Along with the smooth transmission the classic motor comes with power steering, air conditioning and even an up-rated engine which Mr Rhys-Davies most likely carried out himself.
As it was originally sold in America, the car has added extra’s rarely seen on E-Types in the UK such as indicators on the front wings.
Mr Rhys-Davies – from Ammanford, Wales – has also starred various other Hollywood blockbusters including Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
However he is best known for playing the charismatic dwarf Gimli in Lord of the Rings.
Gimli is one of the main members of the “Fellowship of the Ring” – who help guide the hobbit Frodo on his journey to destroy the one ring.
Despite portraying a dwarf in the series, Davies is actually just over six foot tall and towered above many of his counterparts such as Sir Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom.
Having covered just a little over 23,000 miles and an MOT until July next year the new owner will be buying a small piece of Hollywood history.
The gorgeous Jag, which was once described by Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful car ever made” , comes with a great big roaring 5.3 V12 engine that was originally developed to compete in the infamous 24 hours of Le Mans .
