Early taxi goes under the hammer at Wiltshire auctioneer (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Early taxi goes under the hammer at Wiltshire auctioneer

1:55pm Thursday 5th July 2012 in Wiltshire

An early taxi sold at a Wiltshire auction on Tuesday for a record £22,000.

The 1910 Panhard Levassor had been kept in a barn in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire for 15 years before coming to auction.

It was one of 674 of the cars sent to England from France to become a London Taxi.

It is believed it was used in this form up until 1921 when it was then bought by motor dealers and was used for commercial work including a role in the film The Man who Loved Redheads.

It was then bought by a relative of the current owner who was a founder member with Lord Montague of Beaulieu of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club.

The car was bought at Richard Edmonds Classic and Vintage Car Auctions by an anonymous bidder who intends to restore the vehicle to its former glory.

Auctioneer Richard Edmonds said it would grace any collection or museum.

"It is in great condition considering and is a beautiful car. It was so rare the Panhard club did not even know of its existence," the auctioneer said.

"We had a cracking auction selling a cracking 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom for £39,000, a 1959 Ford Consul that was in an Elton John video has provisionally sold for £6,000, the Panhard topped off a great day."

Richards next auction will be at Toddington Steam Railway near Cheltenham on August the fourth.