Lot #231

John Lennon Austin Princess from "Imagine"

A black 1956 Austin Princess Limousine Hearse owned and used by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in "Imagine" (Joko, 1973). The interior features a black leather front bench seat; four custom airline seats (two rows of two, later mounted in back); steering wheel having coat-of-arms logo at center; odometer reading: 41158; finished burl wood dash board; silver plaque reading: "Arthur Mulliner Ltd./North Hampton." Exterior having black finish (most likely original); front and rear English and American license plates; English reading: "GNH 240," Californian reading: "EMAJIN," chrome fenders, luggage rack and hardware throughout. Also present is the London registration form having Lennon's signature as registered owner, stamped August 3 and 26, 1971 and a facsimile copy of a letter of authenticity.

This modified Limousine Hearse can prominently be seen in "Imagine" (Joko, 1973); a film created to promote Lennon's Capitol Records LP bearing the same name. The surreal, half-fiction footage features a day in the life of Lennon and Ono, composed to music of Lennon's "Imagine" album as well as Ono's avant garde "Fly" (Rykodisc, 1971). Lennon co-directed the film with Steve Gebhardt, who previously worked with the he and Yoko on "Ten for Two" (Vaughan Films, 1971) and the short film "Fly."

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During the opening scene of the film, the hearse can be seen in an arial view as John and Yoko drive to their Tittenhurst Park residence in England. Shortly after the filming was completed, they would move to New York.

Est. $200,000-300,000

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