A visitor on Antiques Roadshow was startled to learn that his collection of Lewis Hamilton’s racing dungarees was worth thousands of dollars.
The unidentified guest brought a racing helmet and Mercedes dungarees used by the Formula One driver at a meet-and-greet in 2008.
The guest also brought his father’s lanyard and VIP badge from the historic day, which occurred the year Lewis won his first Drivers’ Championship.
Unfortunately, the Antiques Roadshow visitor was too young to attend the meet-and-greet at the time, but his father did, and he secured the precious goods 15 years ago.
It has now been reported that the helmet, dungarees and autographed VIP ticket may fetch a stunning £10,000 if auctioned off.
Naturally, the man was practically dumbfounded at hearing the news, only managing to exclaim, ‘Wow, that’s a lot more than I expected.’
He’d previously told Hilary Kay, an expert, that his father was carried by helicopter to the Top Gear Test Track to see Lewis.
Hilary responded, teasing the value of the precious items: ‘Even though this isn’t a race overall, it is the real thing. Lewis did wear it while he was driving.’
‘Obviously the value isn’t going to be as high as if it was a race overall. But I still think the two together and the VIP pass, all signed, will be around £10,000.’
She added: ‘The great thing is, your dad has passed his enthusiasm on to you. You are going to look after this collection and hopefully you are going to add to it.’
In response, the guest said: ‘I would hope so. It would be nice to get the opportunity to. I’ll definitely keep a hold of this for the foreseeable future.’
Last month, The Antiques Roadshow appraised a collection of antiques belonging to the late Princess Margaret at £50,000, leaving the owner gasping for air.
A collection of Teletubbies sketches by the original designer of the children’s TV characters was valued at about £100,000 late last year.
Watch Antiques Roadshow on the BBC.
