BONHAMS TO OFFER THE LEGENDARY MERCEDES-BENZ IN WHICH POP STAR CLAUDE FRANÇOIS ESCAPED DEATH

BONHAMS TO OFFER THE LEGENDARY MERCEDES-BENZ

IN WHICH POP STAR CLAUDE FRANÇOIS ESCAPED DEATH

Claude-François and the Mercedes-Benz, circa 1976

Eight exciting motor cars from the personal collection of French businessman and art collector, Alain Dominique Perrin, will be offered at Bonhams Chantilly Sale, taking place in the grounds of Château de Chantilly on Saturday 5 September.

The collection includes a 1977 Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, that was originally owned by famous French singer and composer, Claude François, in which he survived an attempted assassination.

Claude, or CloClo to his fans, was one of France’s biggest pop stars, with a legacy that continues today as he continues to be one of the country’s biggest-selling recording artists. Claude famously wrote and composed the original version of My Way, a song made internationally famous by Frank Sinatra.

Throughout his career Claude sold some 70 million records, with Magnolias Forever, Le Téléphone Pleure, Le Lundi au Soleil, and Alexandrie Alexandra, amongst his most famous tracks. Upon his death in 1978, former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing described him as the French equivalent of the Beatles.

In 1977, Claude was attacked by hooligans who tried to shoot him while he was transporting some plants in his custom-painted navy blue Mercedes. The resulting bullet holes in the car body and rear windscreen are visible in the photo above, which was taken shortly after the incident. The Mercedes is now offered at Bonhams Chantilly sale.

Alain Dominique Perrin and wife Marie-Thérèse Dehaeze were close friends of Claude François, with Dehaeze working as his press officer in the years leading up to his death.

The Mercedes holds strong memories for the couple, who travelled extensively with the singer, often working with him from his car – one of only a few cars at the time equipped with a telephone.

Former head of the board of Cartier International, current Executive Director of the Richemont Group, and president and founder of the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, Perrin offers eight motor cars,  including the selection highlight, a beautiful 1997 Aston Martin V8 Sportsman Shooting Brake. The legendary sedan will be offered at the Chantilly Sale, taking place 5 September 2015.