An original Reliant three-wheeled van used in the iconic British comedy series Only Fools and Horses is set to go under the hammer for the third time in as many years – and even Del Boy might find it difficult to turn down an opportunity to get it at a steal of a price.
The instantly recognisable Regal Supervan III dates back to 1972. It was bought by the BBC when the classic comedy began in 1981 and is one of a fleet of six used during filming of the popular hit show during its 22-year spell on our televisions.
When it goes under the hammer at a Classic Car Auctions sale in Warwickshire on 28 September, it will be its third appearance this car has made at the block since 2021.
Having sold three years ago for £36,000, the guide price for the upcoming auction is less than half that amount.
A ‘cushty’ deal on a collectable piece of TV memorabilia: This 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan III – one of six used for filming Only Fools and Horses – is going under the hammer for the third time in as many years. But the guide price is half what it sold for in 2021, This is Money can reveal
The Reliant Regal Supervan III is believed to have been used in the first two series of the hit show. It was bought by the BBC when the classic comedy began in 1981
It is not known which specific episodes the three-wheeled van featured but is thought to have been used during the first two series, which included the famous ‘chandelier’ episode A Touch of Glass, which originally aired in 1982.
It was previously owned by the late BBC director John Mansfield, who was the keeper of more than one of the six original Regal Supervan IIIs from the series.
He also successfully sold another of the vans via Silverstone Auctions (now Iconic Auctioneers) in 2017, which is thought to be the priciest of them all when it changed hands for £41,625 some seven years ago.
Its top speed – when used during filming – was a mere 55mph and it was often described as a ‘crappy old three-wheeled van’ by the cast.Â
But despite regularly being the butt of jokes, the van proved to be incredibly reliable. It is said to have coped commendably with the rigours of long filming days.
Crew members were even able to drive it long distances when shooting away on location.
It is not known which specific episodes it featured in but is thought to have been used in the first two series, which included the famous ‘chandelier’ episode A Touch of Glass, which first aired in 1982
Included in the sale is fluffy dice, a ‘Tax in Post’ sign in the windscreen, and a roof rack holding a market trader’s suitcase
Despite regularly being the butt of jokes, the van proved to be incredibly reliable, surviving the rigours of long filming days. Pictured (left to right), Buster Merryfield (as Uncle Albert), David Jason (Del Boy) and Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney) in the show
When the show ended after the Christmas special in 2003, the van was sold off to a collector.
Between 2015 and 2021, it was retained by an enthusiast before being offered to the highest bidder, selling at a Silverstone Auctions sale for a ‘cushty’ £36,000.
And it wasn’t long before it was back in the auction room again, with the Reliant Regal Supervan III listed with CCA last summer.
While it showed as selling for an undisclosed fee, This is Money has learnt that price was £19,350 – almost half what the vendor had paid for it two years prior.
The auction house believes it will sell for a price between £15,000 and £18,000, which is a fraction of the £36,000 paid at auction in 2021 (seen here on the Iconic Auctioneers website, which is formerly Silverstone Auctions and a sister company of CCA)
The three-wheeled van is sold with an inflatable doll in the boot, paying homage to one of the most popular episodes, ‘Danger UXD’, which originally aired in 1989 – and concerns Del Boy trying to flog a batch of faulty blow-up sex dolls
The van includes Del Boy’s favoured tiger-print interior among many of the features that were installed by the BBC in the early 1980s
When the show ended after the Christmas special in 2003, the van was sold off and has been owned by a number of different enthusiasts (Above, the van is accompanied by a BBC key tag and, right, some of the vehicle’s control switches)
CCA says this example has been used for various charity events over the last few years.
But at the end of the month, it will yet again go under the hammer.
And auction experts estimate it could sell for even less than it did a year earlier.
The guide price is £15,000 to £18,000. Should it sell in the region of the lower estimate, it would have declined in value by 58 per cent in just three years.Â
The van’s bodywork has been painted to appear scuffed and it has the words ‘New York, Paris, Peckham’ and ‘Trotters Independent Traders’ emblazoned on the side.Â
It’s covered plenty of miles in its 52-year history. The auction house says registration ‘JPL 725K’ has 97,000 miles on its odometer – the same it was displaying when it sold in 2023.
However, it has recently had new tyres fitted, the brakes overhauled and a refreshed fuel system.Â
The van’s bodywork has been painted to appear scuffed and it has the words ‘New York, Paris, Peckham’ and ‘Trotters Independent Traders’ emblazoned on the side
The stars of the show pose for the 1981 Christmas special, including, right, Lennard Pearce, who played Grandad
It comes as it was when used for filming, with the roof rack, market-trader suitcase, fluffy dice and even an inflatable sex doll in the back as seen in Series 6, Episode 2, Danger UXD.
It still retains the ‘Tax in Post’ sign in the windscreen and Del Boy’s favoured tiger-print interior.Â
The Trotters van ranks alongside the likes of Inspector Morse’s Jaguar Mk2 and Jim Bergerac’s Triumph Roadster as one of the most readily recognised vehicles on British television.
Aa spokesperson for CCA told us: ‘Only Fools and Horses remains in the hearts of so many of us with the stage musical drawing record audiences to this day and due to go on tour nationwide very soon.
‘Memorabilia from the original show is certainly good news [for sellers and collectors alike] and this van is no exception and is surely a great opportunity to own a slice of British Comedy History.’
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