Prince Charles after Ascot leaving in his Aston Martin Volante in 1998  (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Cover Prince Charles after Ascot leaving in his Aston Martin Volante in 1998 (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The 1994 convertible will hit the block on December 7

Prince Charles’ former Aston Martin will hit the auction block with a bidding price of about US$354,000, according to Bonhams Auction. The 1994 Virage Volante was leased to the Prince of Wales for just under 15 years before being returned to the manufacturer in 2008, where it has been on display ever since.

“This was owned from new by Aston Martin Lagonda and used by HRH the Prince of Wales until around 2008,” Bonhams said in a statement, “with its unique specification and former Royal patronage, this beautiful Virage Volante is a 'must have' for the serious Aston Martin collector.”

The exterior of the car touts a unique shade of forest green, while the interior is upholstered with a creamy tan leather with a wood-accented dashboard and interior side panels. 

While in Prince Charles’ possession, the vintage convertible had its v8 engine exchanged from 5.2 litres to 6.3 litres, which means the car can rev up to an impressive 175mph. At the time the motor was also fitted with a police radio, but has since been removed. Despite its horsepower, the car was used sparingly, and has racked up just 34,000 miles.

Aston Martin have had quite the relationship with the Royal Family, with the first noteworthy encounter dating back to 1954 when Prince Philip visited Motors of Walton-on-Thames to take delivery of a three-litre Lagonda, a car that was used for private road trips with the Queen.

Since then, in 2011, newlyweds William and Kate left their Buckingham Palace reception in Prince Charles’ DB6 MKKK Vantage Volante, after the Prince of Wales had it transformed to run on bio-ethanol fuel just for the big day.