A Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign tied to Princess Diana’s iconic “revenge dress” moment sold via The Market for £66,250 (about $88,386), with low mileage and documented royal history still driving intense collector interest.
For years, the footage has been replayed: in London, in June 1994, Princess Diana stepped out of the back seat of a Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign as Prince Charles admitted an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles during a televised interview.
The scene lived on partly because of the outfit. Diana wore an off-the-shoulder black cocktail dress. designed by Christina Stambolian and paired with black heels and a pearl choker for a Vanity Fair party. It was soon branded the “revenge dress”—a moment many read as Diana reclaiming control of her narrative after feeling betrayed.
That car—Diana’s Jaguar from the era—has now changed hands.
The Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign 4-litre. a former vehicle from the royal fleet. sold at auction through The Market. an online classic and collectible car auction platform. for £66. 250 (about $88. 386). The listing described it as “the personal limousine of arguably the world’s most famous. iconic and inspirational woman. ” adding. “Yes. that Princess. in THAT dress. in this car.”.
Beneath the celebrity halo, the details still matter to collectors. The vehicle is currently being held in Oxfordshire, England, and it has relatively low mileage of 45,331 miles. Inside, the listing says there is cream leather upholstery with “barely a crease to show for its years.”
The car, according to the auction record, now requires some light TLC. The auction house says it has “rust-free” condition and is “in pretty good condition,” while also acknowledging “small shallow dinks.”
Diana used the Jaguar on “many” occasions during the early to mid 90s, and the listing says the car was maintained by Jaguar’s Kensington branch in the 90s. It was sold in February 1997 to a private vendor—about six months before Diana’s death in a Paris car crash.
After leaving the royal fleet, the listing says the car was kept in a temperature-controlled garage to help it stay in good condition. It was this provenance—plus the cultural weight of that June 1994 moment—that helped pull the vehicle into the same collector spotlight as other famous machines.
Mark Livesey, chief executive of The Market, called the Jaguar “unique” but also “humble.” He said there are “myriad reasons” people look for items linked to celebrities, including “personal and emotional connections.”
Livesey also pointed to how the platform values broader celebrity ties. When asked whether the Jaguar is the most famous vehicle The Market has auctioned, he was quick to stress that the company has a history of selling cars connected to “the rich and famous.”
In 2024, The Market sold a green Daimler Jaguar used by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip between 2001 and 2006. That vehicle was modified so the late monarch could position her handbag between the two front seats. with the dash covered in British Racing Green leather “by request of Her Majesty. ” according to the listing. That car drew more than 100 bids and sold for £103,522 (more than $138,000).
The company’s catalogue of celebrity-linked vehicles also includes a 1977 Cadillac associated with Elvis Presley’s last car, George Michael’s Range Rover, and a limited edition Mercedes-Benz once owned by the late Robin Williams.
Back to the Jaguar XJ40: its “revenge dress” moment remains tightly intertwined with the story of its sale and its storage history. The listing notes that the “revenge dress” itself was worn by Diana during the Vanity Fair party. and the auction record adds that the dress was paired with black heels and a pearl choker.
And for Diana’s Jaguar, the timeline is part of what makes it stick. The listing says the revenge dress—spanning the same era as the Jaguar—was paired with that iconic departure in June 1994. The car was later sold to a private vendor in February 1997. and the revenge dress is noted as having been bought by a private collector in 1997. just two months before Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris.
In a world where royal memorabilia can feel endless and often untethered from tangible proof, the auction’s draw here is concrete: a rust-free vehicle, 45,331 miles on the clock, identified as maintained by Jaguar’s Kensington branch, and sold for £66,250.
The auction closes, the car moves. But the June 1994 footage—Diana stepping out of that Jaguar, dressed in black—has already outlived the controversy that framed it.
Princess Diana revenge dress Jaguar XJ40 auction The Market classic car royal fleet London Camilla Parker-Bowles Prince Charles Oxfordshire