Lennon Auction Runs Out of Gas

L O N D O N , March 27 -- Could Beatlemania finally be running out of gas?

Two of John Lennon's former prized possessions, including a stretch Mercedes limousine, went on the block in a "Rock Legend" auction at London's Hard Rock Café today, but failed to fetch the minimum asking prices.

The limo, which Lennon ordered from Mercedes in 1969, had a minimum sale price of $287,600, but fell about $14,000 short.

The other centerpiece of the auction was Lennon's upright ebony Steinway piano, which fell about $400,000 short of the minimum asking price of $1.4 million.

Lennon's limo, a white 1970's Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman, was once the most expensive car in the world. It was one of only 428 that were ever made and it was custom built to Lennon's specifications. He wanted the car to have a black velvet interior and an in-car record player.

Limo Became Supreme Car

When he moved to the United States in 1973, he sold it to fellow Beatle George Harrison. Harrison sold it to Mary Wilson of the Supremes in 1975 and it was taken on the Supremes tour of America until 1979. The car was then sold to a private collector who spent a fortune restoring the car to its former glory.

The renovation is one of the most expensive ever carried out by Mercedes for an independent customer.

The Steinway piano was personally ordered by Lennon from the company's Long Island shop in 1979.

It was delivered to his apartment in New York City's Dakota building on May 9 that year and remained there until 1984, four years after his death.

It is thought to be the piano on which Lennon and Yoko Ono composed the Double Fantasy album.

Tim Owen, auction specialist from Fleetwood Owen, the company that organized tonight's auction commented, "We assume a lot of work was done on it."

Owen's partner in the auction is Mick Fleetwood, the drummer from the rock band Fleetwood Mac.

Beatles Market Not Going Soft

Despite the disappointment of the auction, Owen said afterwards, "There is no chance of the bottom falling out of the Beatles memorabilia market."