A luxurious, 400 horsepower BMW Z8 owned by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is headed to auction next month at Sotheby's in New York. The winning bid is estimated to reach between $300,000 and $400,000.
Jobs' ownership is documented through several service invoices accompanying the car, as well as a copy of a California registration or so-called "pink slip" in his name and at his personal residence, according to the listing.
"According to legend, Jobs was convinced to buy the Z8 by Larry Ellison the iconoclastic CEO of Oracle, who enthused to Jobs that the car was a paragon of modern automotive engineering and ergonomics," the listing says.
The roadster has a production date of April 1, 2000, and it was delivered to him in October of that year, according to Sotheby's. Jobs reportedly sold the car in 2003 to its current owner in Los Angeles.
Over the course of the last 17 years, the car has been driven just 15,200 miles from new, averaging less than 1,000 miles a year, the listing states. It is said to remain in "exemplary condition."
The silver-over-black car is equipped with several accessories, including its original BMW-branded Motorola flip phone that Jobs supposedly hated. The JOBS Z8 license plate was registered by the current owner.
BMW built just over 5,700 Z8s between 1999 and 2003. The car had a suggested price of $128,000 before options in the United States, and used models typically sell for anywhere between $165,000 and over $200,000.
The auction begins December 6 at Sotheby's "Icons" event, featuring supercars from Lamborghini, Ferrari, Jaguar, and other marques. The listing was brought to our attention by BMWBLOG.com.
(Thanks, Chris!)
Top Rated Comments
If I remember correctly, I read an article that Steve Jobs never licensed his cars because California has a law that cars can go six months before needing to be licensed. Because of that, he traded his in every six months.
Am I correct?