KEY POINTS:
One aircraft - worth millions. One owner - willing to sell. Sitting in the cockpit of a World War II Spitfire and knowing she's all yours - priceless.
A single-seat Vickers Supermarine Spitfire built in 1945 - one of the world's most famous fighter aircraft - is up for grabs again, after bids on Trade Me for it did not fly with its New Zealand owners.
Now it is being put up for auction in the Bonhams & Goodman's inaugural sale of collectors' motor cars and aircraft in New Zealand on September 14.
The Subritzky family from Auckland's North Shore have had the Spitfire for 11 years, along with other aircraft, and have decided to let it go - but for what it's worth, says Don Subritzky, father of owner Mike Subritzky.
"Basically, it [the Trade Me auction] got nowhere. We had a couple of hundred hits, but nothing came out of it," Mr Subritzky said.
The Spitfire is said to be one of fewer than 50 aircraft of its kind left in the world. It and the Hawker Hurricane were considered to be the strongest aircraft during World War II.
The Spitfire up for sale still has its original equipment intact, including the radio.
Mr Subritzky said the family had had a lot of keen international interest from Europe, America and even Germany - but no one had delivered.
"It's nice to hear it on the phone, but nobody fronted," he said.
"It's hard to put a number on it, but we hope the buyer knows how much it's worth. I'm picking that's what will happen - very quietly."
The feature of the Spitfire in the Bonhams & Goodman auction will add to an already special occasion - the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force at the end of the Great War in 1918.
