‘Spy Van’ sale nets cash for Alzheimer’s Society
A RESTORED Ford Transit ‘Spy Van’ went under the hammer at a Shepshed auction centre in a bid to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.
And the price it sold for is believed not just to have set a UK record, but a world record.
On Monday, May 22, Manheim auctioned off the unusual van at its Shepshed auction centre in Charnwood Road.
The vehicle sold for £10,300 - which is believed to be a world record price for a Transit Mark 3.
The purchaser of the Spy Van has been described as a “van man” and a “valued client of Manheim”.
It was Manheim’s director of commercial vehicles, James Davis, who originally purchased the Transit for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the iconic van.
Over the past few years, the panels and paintwork have been restored and James purchased 30-year-old surveillance equipment for the interior.
He has been tracking the van’s journey through his Facebook page: ‘James Davis is ‘The Spy Van Restoration Man’’ - which is followed by more than 2,500 people.
James said: “The van is believed to have been used by HMRC for covert surveillance, but could well have been used for ‘higher profile’ purposes...”
As well as auctioning the van, James has setup a JustGiving page for the Alzheimer’s Society.
The page tells of how James’ father, Rob, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease six years ago and how he hopes the money raised can fund research into this area.
The page reads: “We can make a difference - for ourselves, family, friends and colleagues - we’ll directly and indirectly benefit in the coming years from funds we raise for research.”
Including the van sale, the current fund-raising figure stands at around £14,000.
James’ JustGiving page can be found at: www. justgiving.com/fundraising/James-Davis22 and his Facebook page can be found by searching ‘The restoration van man ’.