A customised black 500SEL Mercedes owned by George Harrison for 16-years made a pit stop in Ely at the weekend as part of a promo tour.
It was driven up from London to be shown-off as its owner, a rock memorabilia collector owner, prepares to put it to auction in late November.
The car was parked alongside hundreds of other classic Mercs on Ely Cathedral's lawn as part of the Anglia North Mercedes-Benz-Club's family day.
It was driven up from London to be shown-off as its owner, a rock memorabilia collector owner, prepares to put it to auction in late November.
The car was parked alongside hundreds of other classic Mercs on Ely Cathedral's lawn as part of the Anglia North Mercedes-Benz-Club's family day.
Richard Mason, 67, the man tasked with looking after George's car, said he found it in Brighton while researching the rocker's lifelong love affair with the German car manufacturer.
He said: "The man who owns the car bought it as an investment four years ago. He agreed I could look after it and report on its condition, as it needed cosmetic work and to be brought out [of the garage] and shown to the world.
"I am a great admirer of George Harrison as a human being. He brought Eastern philosophy to the west and made meditation a thing.
"He wasn't a hypocrit. He did sex, drugs and rock and roll but grew as a person - for me he is not just any old rock star. He was a man with a social conscience he struggled with."
Mercedes enthusiast Richard, said George had the car, which features a bespoke black grill and wheel trims, specially customised by Mercedes in 1984. George, who died following a cancer battle in 2001, was also known to give Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr lifts it the studio in it.
He said: "The man who owns the car bought it as an investment four years ago. He agreed I could look after it and report on its condition, as it needed cosmetic work and to be brought out [of the garage] and shown to the world.
"I am a great admirer of George Harrison as a human being. He brought Eastern philosophy to the west and made meditation a thing.
"He wasn't a hypocrit. He did sex, drugs and rock and roll but grew as a person - for me he is not just any old rock star. He was a man with a social conscience he struggled with."
Mercedes enthusiast Richard, said George had the car, which features a bespoke black grill and wheel trims, specially customised by Mercedes in 1984. George, who died following a cancer battle in 2001, was also known to give Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr lifts it the studio in it.
It will feature in a TV pilot about George's love of motoring later in the year, and will be the main attraction at the NEC Classic Motorshow In November.
Paul Jobling of Anglia North Mercedes club said thanks to the inclusion of this prime piece of rock memorabilia his club's annual day-out, which included luncheon under a marquee in the Bishop's garden, was a huge success.
He also spoke of the car brand's enduring appeal to rock stars who made their way in the 60s.
"After the war there was a lot of anti-German sentiment so in the '60s they were rare so the choice of rock stars. So, if you saw one it was a 'wow' moment."They cost twice as much as a Jaguar E-Type, " he added.
In homage the car's rock and roll association, next month Richard will be taking George's car on a lap of Silverstone racecourse to the soundtrack of George's classic solo track 'My Sweet Lord'.
He continued: "I was told I could keep it in London if I looked after it. So I drove up to Ely so people could look and see what they made of it.
"Cars that have been owned by famous people don't move in same way so it's daft to put a price on something like this."But as a benchmark a Porsche owned by George Harrison for three years went to an auction in Stockport and made £37,000."Until the time the car goes up for auction Richard says he happy just to "bathe in the reflective glory of its illustrious owner" - arguably the nation's favourite Beatle, George Harrison.
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