A classic 1947 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith proved the star turn at India’s first-ever online bidding war for truly classic automobiles, as organised by AstaGuru, one of the country’s leading auction houses. In the end, this most luxurious of land vehicles went for a whopping US$247,216 (HK$1.9 million), with the winning bid – from an anonymous Mumbai-based businessman – accounting for nearly half of the sales’ total takings of around US$500,000.

A product of the immediate post-World War II boom period, the car reflected the optimism of the times, as well as the reborn love for the finest things life had to offer. This particular vehicle was actually an upgraded take on a 1939 model, complete with oodles of additional legroom and a judiciously-enhanced 30bHp engine.

Stashed below its magnificent blue paint job, the engine in question was a six-cylinder Bentley Mark 5, an internal combustion system said to be so smooth that it outperformed the most luxurious of limousines in terms of travel experience. With few such vehicles ever coming up for public sale, it’s really of little surprise that the expected bidding shifted up several gears.

Photo credit: AstaGuru