A piece of history at a savings of $125,000.

President John F. Kennedy’s “Limo One,” a white limousine, sold for $375,000 earlier this week, falling short of auctioneers’ hopes that it would reach $500,000, according to The Daily Mail. A nice deal for the private buyer, if expectations are the guide.

The automobile was part of what was called the Presidential Experience lot at Bonhams, available in an online live event Oct. 14.

Kennedy rode safely in “Limo One” on the morning of his assassination, exiting the vehicle at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth for his fateful flight to Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. So no, this car isn’t the open-topped 1961 presidential limo in which JFK was shot later that day.

The 1963 Lincoln was loaned to then Texas Governor John Connally and carried Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, along with Connally that morning.

According to an Autoevolution online story, the auction company presented the car with a restored exterior, new interior and documentation of its history. The new interior included red leather seats.

Another Kennedy-related limo failed to sell, as did a replica – full size, mind you – of the Boeing 707 converted and used as Air Force One, which did not reach its minimum bid.

The second-highest-priced item to be sold in the lot turned out to be the Air Force One bomber jacket worn by Kennedy, which fetched $250,075.

The black Lincoln Continental in which JFK was shot served other presidents until it was retired in 1977. It is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Add comment