Princess Diana's 'Revenge Dress' Car Just Sold for Record Price
On the night of June 29, 1994, while Prince Charles was on television admitting to an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, Princess Diana stepped out of a dark green Jaguar XJ40 in London wearing a figure-hugging off-the-shoulder black cocktail dress, black heels, and a pearl choker. She was heading to a Vanity Fair party. She looked like a million dollars. The timing was no accident.
The Christina Stambolian dress she wore that night became instantly famous — dubbed the "revenge dress" by the press and cemented as one of the most iconic fashion moments in royal history. A woman publicly betrayed by her husband, reclaiming her story on her own terms, in front of the entire world.
That car — the actual Jaguar XJ40 she stepped out of — just sold at auction for £66,250, or about $88,386. It's a world record for the model and sold for more than 16 times its base value.
"We are confident to claim that this result is the highest amount paid globally, ever," said Mark Livesey, CEO of The Market, the online classic car auction platform that ran the sale. "It is a new world record for a Jaguar XJ."
The Car Itself
The Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign 4-litre is currently in Oxfordshire, England, and is in surprisingly good shape for its age. It has only 45,331 miles on it — relatively low for a vehicle from the early 1990s. The interior still has its original cream leather upholstery described in the listing as having "barely a crease to show for its years." The car is rust-free and in solid condition, though it needs some light maintenance.
It was used by Diana on many occasions during the early to mid-1990s as part of the royal fleet and was maintained by Jaguar's Kensington branch throughout that period. In February 1997 — just six months before Diana died in a Paris car crash — it was sold to a private vendor who kept it stored in a temperature-controlled garage to preserve its condition. There are some small shallow dinks noted in the listing but nothing significant.
The listing didn't undersell the moment. "Yes, that Princess, in THAT dress, in this car," it read. "This is the personal limousine of arguably the world's most famous, iconic and inspirational woman."
The car received more than 100 bids before the final sale.
Why People Pay This Kind of Money
The revenge dress itself was purchased by a private collector in 1997 — just two months before Diana was killed. The car that carried her to that moment has now followed it into private hands at a significant premium.
Livesey described the vehicle as both "unique" and "humble" — a regular production car elevated entirely by its connection to one person and one moment. He noted that buyers of celebrity-connected items are typically driven by "personal and emotional connections" rather than purely financial calculation.
Diana's cultural footprint has not dimmed in the nearly 30 years since her death. If anything the sustained global fascination with her life — fueled by books, documentaries, and dramatizations including The Crown — has kept demand for anything connected to her remarkably strong.
Other Famous Cars Sold by the Same Platform
This isn't the first high-profile royal vehicle The Market has moved. In 2024 they sold a green Daimler Jaguar used by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip between 2001 and 2006 for £103,522 — over $138,000. That particular car had been modified specifically for the Queen, with the dashboard covered in British Racing Green leather at her request and a special modification allowing her to position her handbag next to her between the front seats.
The platform has also sold a 1977 Cadillac identified as Elvis Presley's last car, George Michael's Range Rover, and a limited edition Mercedes-Benz that once belonged to Robin Williams.
But the Diana Jaguar is something different. The revenge dress moment wasn't just a celebrity sighting — it was a cultural turning point, a very public act of defiance from a woman the world was watching. The car that carried her to that moment sold for 16 times its value on Monday.
Whoever bought it now owns a piece of one of the most talked-about nights in modern royal history.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.