Ten BMW 3 Series 'Democracy Cars' to be auctioned

BMW (UK) Ltd has donated one of ten limited edition 'Democracy Cars' signed by Nelson Mandela to the charity auction 'Put Yourself in My Shoes'. The proceeds from the auction of the car will benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the UK children's charities Norwood and Shine. The auction will take place on 9th June at London's Madame Tussauds.

The ten 3 Series 'Democracy Cars' were built to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the first democratic elections held in South Africa. Workers at BMW's Rosslyn Plant near Pretoria in South Africa generously agreed to donate their time for free to build the cars while BMW and its suppliers donated parts and components at no charge. To increase the value of the cars, Nelson Mandela kindly agreed to sign each of the vehicles. His signature is displayed on the interior trim panel located above the glove box next to a plaque verifying the authenticity of the signature.

Three of the ten democracy cars remain in South Africa while the rest have been exported to countries including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Germany to be auctioned for charity.