Michael Caine’s very first car – a classic Rolls Royce convertible – sold for £135,000 (AU$246,000) at auction in the UK, coming under the hammer to mark the British film star’s 90th birthday.

Listed by H&H classicThis Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Two-Door Drophead Coupe was first purchased by Michael Caine in 1968 for £10,511 – the equivalent of over £147,000 today or AU$270,000.

This Silver Shadow is believed to be one of 506 two-door drophead coupe examples built by Mulliner Park Ward, Rolls-Royce’s in-house coachbuilder.

Mr Caine had reportedly never owned a car (or obtained a driver’s license) when he turned 35 in 1968, but the star of Zulu And The IpPress file corrected this when he bought the luxurious and expensive convertible.

According to the listing, the actor entered a London Rolls-Royce dealership with a shopping list that read “milk, bread, newspaper, cigarettes, Rolls-Royce,” although he was escorted off the premises as he was “unkempt, unshaven and a little worse for wear”.

Visiting the nearest dealership, he found this Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and bought it, reportedly hiring a chauffeur to drive it around as it was cheaper than insuring the car as a learner driver.

Mr. Caine only owned the Rolls-Royce briefly until 1970 – shortly after his role in the cult classic The Italian Job — when it was sold to his close friend and restaurateur Jack Leach.

Accordingly H&H classicMr Leach owned the Rolls-Royce until his death in 2013, where the car was stored until its last owner bought the convertible in 2018.

The current Rolls-Royce owner has reportedly spent “the better part of £100,000 (AU$183,000) restoring the Silver Shadow to its former glory, with its odometer currently showing 59,000 miles (95,000km).

Power comes from a 6.2-liter V8 engine that drives the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission.