Starsky and Hutchcarupfor grabsinunique Belfast auction
IF you’ve ever dreamed of leaping into Starsky and Hutch’s Gran Torino or getting behind the wheel of Del Boy’s threewheeled Reliant, an unusual auction later this week could hold the key.
Crime-related assets with an unusual movie theme will go under the hammer in Belfast.
From a life-size Iron Man or Terminator statue to replicas of a 1966 Batboat and the Blues Brothers’ Bluesmobile, the auction lots will be a treat for movie buffs and comic fans.
The unreserved government auction is run by Wilsons Auctions with the ‘Aladdin’s cave’ of items up for sale including government repossessions and proceeds of crime-related assets.
All money raised will go directly back into the public purse, with similar previous auctions through the years generating £85m.
The bizarre source of the collection is an English drug dealer and movie buff who built a massive cannabis farm in an underground nu- The Ford Gran Torino and (right) in the programme Starsky and Hutch. Below from left: a Star Wars statue, an Iron Man statue and a Mini Shorty
clear bunker in Wiltshire. Martin Fillery (45) — who had also written a screenplay about producing cannabis — originally used the remote site as a storage facility for a business selling model Daleks and cars.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison last month for conspiracy to produce class B drugs, stealing electricity and money laundering.
A financial investigation is continuing to fully estab- lish the extent of his benefit from criminal activity and to identify any further assets.
The auction of his ill-gotten gains will be hosted online but also available to bidders in person at Wilsons Auctions’ Belfast branch on Thursday at 5.30pm.
The collection of movie and TV memorabilia has apparently been curated for decades by Fillery and also includes a Star Wars Stormtrooper and Ewok statue, a Doctor Who Cyberman figure, a Willy Wonka statue depicting Gene Wilder in his famous role,
as well as an ET model from Steven Spielberg’s 1980s classic.
A fleet of vehicles will include the actual screen-used BMW 6-series car from Back to the Future II (Biff ’s hovering car).
Also for sale will be a 1966 Batboat based on a Glastron powerboat, the world’s only four-seater jet boat.
Other cars include the Blues Brothers’ Bluesmobile and Del Boy’s yellow Reliant Regal.
And if these famous vehicles weren’t eye-catching enough, there’s still the option of a mon- ster truck-style Hummer and a range of kit cars including a 25th Anniversary Lamborghini Countach Replica and a one of a kind McLaren F1 replica.
For that perfect addition to the man cave, a variety of retro arcade machines including an original Back to the Future pinball machine are up for grabs, along with a collection of vintage toys and games.
Wilsons Auctions’ Group Asset Recovery Manager Aidan Larkin said: “We are delighted to have been instructed to manage the disposal of a large number of movie memorabilia and replica items including vehicles, props and merchandise as well as retro arcade and collectible games, which are being sold as a result of a police seizure.” He added: “We believe the auction will appeal to a worldwide audience from the avid collector to the casual buyer — whether it’s for a man cave or a museum, there truly is something for everyone.”