Steve Jobs’ classic BMW hits the auction block

By

Steve BMW
And this one comes with a license plate...
Photo: Sotheby's

Ever dreamed of traveling in style like Steve Jobs? If so — and if you’re happy to spend the price of a good-sized family home in many parts of the U.S. — then you could be the proud new owner of the 400-horsepower BMW Z8 once driven by Apple’s late co-founder.

The BMW is going up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York next month, with a sales price expected to reach between $300,000 and $400,000.

In addition to the car itself, the winner of the auction also will receive Jobs’ ownership document, with various invoices, along with the California automobile registration showing his name and address. Somewhat amusingly, it also comes with a BMW-branded Motorola flip phone, as well as a JOBS Z8 license plate registered by the car’s current owner. (Jobs preferred to drive without a license plate.)

“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 auction lot says.

The car was delivered to Jobs in October 2000, following his return to Apple and successful launch of the iMac G3, but before the iPod, iTunes, iPhone and other products that confirmed his stint as CEO as one of the best in corporate history. Jobs held onto the car until 2003, when it was sold to its current owner in Los Angeles. It comes in “exemplary condition,” and has just 15,200 miles on the odometer.

The auction will kick off on December 6 as part of Sotheby’s “Icons” event, which includes a range of supercars made by the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Jaguar.

Source: Sotheby’s

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