Rare miniature Jaguar toy car bought for just 50p at car boot sale set to fetch huge sum at auction
AN ultra-rare toy car that was originally bought for 50p at a car boot sale is now set to fetch a huge sum at auction.
The miniature motor is a scale replica of the Jaguar XJ5.3C that appeared in the beloved espionage thriller series The New Avengers, which ran from 1976 to 1977.
However, the model was never put into production by toymakers Dinky, so only a handful of pre-production samples like this one exist.
The current owner spotted it at a sale on the South Coast and picked it up for just 50p.
Hoping to turn a profit, they then put it up for auction on eBay for 99p, which would have returned a 98% margin.
But within 10 minutes, bids in excess of £500 were flocking in as collectors looked to snap up the once-in-a-lifetime artefact.
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It is now being advertised on Vectis Auctions, who specialise in rare collectables, with a starting bid of £1,000 and an estimate of £1,800 to £2,000.
That means it could go for over 4,000 times what the seller originally paid for it.
The listing reads: "Dinky Toys 113 Pre-Production "The New Avengers" - "John Steeds" Jaguar XJ5.3C "Big-Cat"
"This extremely rare genuine sample issue is finished in deep aqua, black interior and base, with correct figure, gold side flashes, and chrome wheels.
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"The model was never put into production and only a few samples remain - a superb opportunity to require in a near mint condition."
It comes after a "sensational" superbike previously owned by Top Gear legend James May went up for auction this week.
Meanwhile, Britain's most glam lorry driver revealed how she left the Army to drive HGVs.
