A Land Rover that was owned by the Dalai Lama was just purchased by a anonymous buyer for $143,000
- The Dalai Lama's 1966 Land Rover Series IIA 88 just fetched $143,000 at an RM Sotheby's auction on Saturday.
- The car was the figure's official vehicle and was later maintained by his brother before being donated to the Dalai Lama Foundation in Palo Alto, California.
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The 14th Dalai Lama's former Land Rover just fetched $143,000 at RM Sotheby's Auburn auction on Saturday.
The car was originally delivered to Nepal on Feb. 1966 and driven into India by the 14th Dalai Lama's brother, Tenzin Cheogyal. There, it assumed its position as His Holiness's official car, according to RM Sotheby's.
The car was driven mostly by Cheogyal to bring his brother around India. However, it wasn't used as frequently when the Dalai Lama was in exile from Tibet.
Cheogyal continued to maintain the truck after its 10 years of service before it was eventually donated to the Dalai Lama Foundation in Palo Alto, California in 2005 to raise funds for Tibetan refugees.
The truck was fully restored in 2006 and still maintains many of its original parts, including the seats, tires, license plate, and interior parts, according to the auction house. It was later featured on the cover of the Land Rover Lifestyle magazine in Dec. 2007 when it was named one of the six best Land Rovers in the US.
The Land Rover was sold at the Auburn Fall RM Sotheby's Auction in Indiana. The buyer's identity has not been revealed.