Sir Michael Caine sells his very first car as 1968 Rolls Royce fetches £135k at auction

Acclaimed British actor Sir Michael Caine has sold his very first car -a 1968 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow - bought new one year before he starred in the Italian Job. The actor says he bought the car after realising "he had reached the age of 35 without ever owning a car or even obtaining a driving licence."

The car went under the hammer at an auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, on March 15 and fetched £135k. Michael Caine, 90, purchased the car while out running errands in London, with his shopping list reportedly reading: “milk, bread, newspaper, cigarettes, Rolls-Royce.”

The star reportedly visited a Berkley Square showroom hoping to purchase the luxury car, but was turned away due to his scruffy appearance, forcing him to head to another London showroom. The actor didn’t have a licence at the time and so hired a chauffeur to follow him around town in the car.

The car boasts sleek cream leather seats and a stylish dashboard, with the restoration also featuring an engine overhaul. It is one of just 506 Silver Shadow Two-Door Drophead Coupes that Rolls-Royce’s in-house coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward hand built between 1967-1971.

Sir Michael Caine recently celebrated his 90th birthday with a star-studded dinner at The River Cafe in Hammersmith. It was attended by stars such as Tom Cruise, Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Walliams.