Crown limousine used by former Prime Minister Helen Clark for sale with $1 reserve

This Ford LTD V8 Crown limousine was used to drive former Prime Minister Helen Clark around. Photo / Wholesale Motors

New Zealanders have the chance to roll like a PM with the Crown limousine used by former Prime Minister Helen Clark listed for sale.

Clark was driven around in the Ford LTD Ba V8 Crown limousine from 2005 to 2008.

“Feel like a Prime Minister as you cruise in the back of this stunning limo,” the auction description says.

Christchurch Wholesale Motors dealer principal Tyson Adams said he’d been waiting for the media to reach out after the business posted pictures of the vehicle on social media.

“We received the car as a trade-in on a Jeep Cherokee Hemi V8 we sold last month.

“The owner of the Ford was a car enthusiast who took this CR1 Crown car to shows and the like.”

While the vehicle comes with two New Zealand flags at the front, the new owner will have to take them off before hitting the road.

“It comes with the flags up front which have a nice holder in the back boot to store them. We believe it’s not legal to drive on the road with the flags up, so they unscrew and go in the boot,” Adams said.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage notes on its website, “the New Zealand flag is usually only flown from a car carrying a Crown minister, a New Zealand ambassador when overseas, and the chief of the New Zealand Defence Force”.

“It has hands-free calling added, but other than that the car is completely factory and in like new condition.

“This model has a 5.4-litre V8, which is quite impressive; I think Helen may have been used to the driver spinning a few wheels accidentally as it’s hard to avoid haha.”

The car is not the vehicle that was controversially raced across the South Island clocking speeds well above the limit so Clark could get to a rugby test on time in 2004.

Prime Minister Helen Clark in the Crown limousine in 2008. Photo / Martin Sykes

The car has already reached a bid of $14,000 two days after it was uploaded on Trade Me with a $1 reserve.

“We have had a lot of interest from Kiwis who have already got Crown cars themselves and would like to purchase this to add to their collection, as this is the top pedigree of Crown cars being a V8 one and registered as CR1 being the Prime Minister’s car.”

In 2016, the Government auctioned its old fleet of Crown limos used by ministers, royalty and visiting dignitaries.

“A lot of people have Crown cars that were registered CR25 etc.”

The auction for the vehicle on Trade Me ends at 8.30pm on Saturday, June 8.