1951 Cadillac Limousine - Ex-Argentine President Juan Domingo & Eva Peron

Offered by its privateer owner having been on long-term loan to the Eva Peron Museum (Museo Evita) in Buenos Aires, Argentina we are delighted to offer for sale this most significant of State Limousines, that of Argentine President Juan Domingo and Eva Perón.

A great icon of popular culture as well as history, María Eva Duarte de Perón, will always be affectionately remembered as Evita. Her life story was most famously told in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita, as well as the 1996 film of the same name starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas.

Eva's rise from aspiring actress to political supremo and Spiritual Leader of Argentina began in 1944, in Buenos Aires, where she met Colonel Juan Perón. The couple were married in 1945 and Juan Perón was elected President of Argentina in 1946.

During the couple's time in office, Eva became a champion of the working class as well as women in Argentina, founding the nation's first large-scale female political party, the Female Peronist Party and supporting low income families. Over the next few years she built up swathes of support, leading for calls for her to become Vice-President. Her declining health meant that she could never truly make a challenge for the Vice-Presidency and she sadly died of cancer at the age of 33 in July 1952. More than three million people lined the streets of Buenos Aires at her funeral, proving her significance and popularity.

This fabulous 1951 Cadillac served faithfully as the official state limousine of the Peron presidency and has been proudly displayed at the Museo Evita for a number of years. There are many images of the President with the car and he and Eva in the rear seats en route to a state function. The owner has decided the time has come to part with this important treasure and the concours lawn of Salon Privé where the car will be shown and accompanying Silverstone Auctions sale is the chosen outlet.

The car has recently arrived on UK shores and discovered within was a glorious jewel from one of Eva's dresses which accompanies the sale of this car. The helpful staff of Museo Evita are very kindly trying to establish which item of clothing this jewel has come from.

The opportunity to own such a unique motorcar from a very poignant period in South American history is a very special proposition and one which cannot be overlooked. We anticipate significant global interest when this Cadillac is offered under the hammer.

Interested parties should note that import duty at the prevailing rate is applicable to the purchase price of this vehicle if it remains in the EEC.