**The sale of the luxury vehicle reflects both its sentimental value and Hallyday's significant legacy in music and culture.**
**Johnny Hallyday’s Lost Classic Car Fetches €132,000 at Auction**
**Johnny Hallyday’s Lost Classic Car Fetches €132,000 at Auction**
**A unique Panther De Ville once owned by the French rock icon and poker player went under the hammer for an impressive sum.**
A bespoke Panther De Ville car, once the pride of late French rock star Johnny Hallyday, has been sold at auction for €132,000 (approximately $143,000 or £110,000). This unique vehicle, which Hallyday lost during a poker game, was bought at an auction held by the French house Osenat. The Panther De Ville, a limited-edition model, was originally gifted to Hallyday in 1975 by his then-wife, artist Sylvie Vartan. Custom-designed, it features luxurious mink seats, a gold disc honoring Hallyday's record achievements, and personalized hubcaps etched with his initials.
The auction took place near Paris, where a French buyer acquired the iconic vehicle, intending to work on a "specific project" related to it, according to Osenat. The buyer also incurred an additional buyer's premium of €26,400. Hallyday lost the car during a high-stakes poker game with a friend in 1977. Afterward, he attempted to repurchase the vehicle, but his manager discouraged the idea due to financial constraints.
The Panther De Ville, a neo-classical vehicle boasting a vintage 1930s aesthetic, was produced in the UK between 1974 and 1985. Hallyday's yellow-and-black model was one of 69 classic cars auctioned that day, with estimates initially ranging from €55,000 to €80,000. The gold disc atop the grille celebrates Hallyday's musical success in 1975 and is inscribed with his name.
Hallyday's passion for cars is well-documented, but he ultimately had to part with this piece of his legacy after his poker loss. The vehicle eventually found its way into the hands of someone more interested in sportier automobiles, who exchanged it for a Ferrari from a devoted fan of Hallyday. Divorced from Vartan in 1980, Hallyday's prolific career spanned 57 years, during which he achieved global sales of over 110 million records and remained active until his death from lung cancer in 2017 at age 74.
