A Renault Fuego GTS that belonged to the family of late Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu will go on sale at an online Artmark auction scheduled for May 19. The car, a wedding gift Zoia Ceausescu received from her parents, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, has a starting price of EUR 500.

The car was ordered from the Renault Factories in France and was bought with the money they got from selling a two-seater Mercedes car owned by Zoia. A specialized department of state security dealt with both the sale of the Mercedes and the purchase of the Renault, according to Artmark.

After the events of 1989, the car was seized by the General Prosecutor's Office. Seven years later, an ordinance of the Prosecutor's Office ordered the cessation of the criminal investigation and the return of personal property. The car was used only for trips outside Bucharest.

Other modern classic cars from private collections or the patrimonies of some institutions will be on sale at the same auction. The most valuable is the Maserati Quattroporte, with a starting price of EUR 15,000. Only 2,133 models of this car were made in 1980, and the one auctioned in Bucharest is number 606.

The May 19 auction will also include a Fiat 124 Spider from 1973, a Chevrolet Silverado from 1977, and an elegant Mercedes convertible, model SL380, produced only between 1981-1985. All three are on sale for a starting price of EUR 8,000.

Plus, there will also be a Pontiac Trans Am Firebird for sale, for the starting price of EUR 8,000. The car was produced in 1987 in a limited edition, with a Corvette engine.

Car fans can test the six models at the Cesianu-Racoviță Palace until May 19, and then they can bid for their favourite through an active account on Artmark.ro.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Artmark)