CARS WITH GENUINE Beatles provenance don’t come up for sale very often, so it’s no surprise that considerable interest surrounds the sale of John Lennon’s 1965 Ferrari 330GT 2+2 (above). It’s doubly significant because this is the first car Lennon bought after passing his driving test in 1965. It’s going to be one of the star lots at Bonhams’ Paris sale at the Grand Palais during the Rétromobile show.

According to Lennon’s biographer, Philip Norman, 
the car earned national press coverage in February 1965, when Lennon returned from his test. In his book, John Lennon – A Life, he says: ‘Within hours, every luxury car dealership in the Weybridge area, hoping for business, jammed the road outside Kenwood’s security gates. John strolled out to inspect this gleaming smorgasbord, eventually selecting a £2000 Ferrari.’

The car was restored during the 1990s, and its estimate for the sale is €120,000-170,000, which indicates that the Lennon connection is adding 50%.

Another famously pre-owned classic on offer at the sale is this 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Sports Saloon (right), once owned by King Baudouin of Belgium. The car, which was supplied new to the King, was restored to original specification in 2001-08. Its documentation includes photographs of King Baudouin with his brother, the present King Albert II.

The Aston’s pre-sale estimate is €200,000–240,000.