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 Online Media Centre  
Pope's old car sold on eBay Germany
Mumbai, May 6, 2005

eBay Germany announced the sale of a car belonging to the newly appointed Pope Benedict XVI, formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, for approximately US$ 245,000. This was easily one of the most watched auctions in Europe and drew over 8.5 million visitors worldwide.

A GREY Volkswagen Golf which belonged to the Pope Benedict XVI was sold on eBay Germany to golden_palace-casino. A few months before being elected head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Josef Ratzinger) decided to sell his six-year-old VW Golf. The vehicle had been imported from Germany to Rome in 1999.

Without knowing the car's history, the eBay seller, Benjamin Halbe, 21, bought the Golf this January. It was only when Halbe obtained the car's registration documents confirming Josef Ratzinger as the former owner that he realized the truly blessed nature of his purchase.

When Halbe listed the car on eBay last week, the reserve price was €9,999 - the same amount he paid for it. By Saturday, offers had already exceeded €45,000 and kept increasing dramatically until GoldenPalace.com's winning bid.

  • Starting Bid- EUR 9,999
  • Starting Time- Apr 25, 2005
  • Bid Ended- May 05, 2005
  • Number of Bidders- 227 Bids
  • Winning Bidder- golden_palace_casino
  • Winning Bid- EUR 188,938.88 (Approximately Rs 1, 12, 63,345.64).

Click here to see the actual listing. https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4545301886

About eBay India
eBay India (www.ebay.in), India's leading online marketplace, is India's biggest online trading community where anyone can sell or buy almost anything. eBay India is a trading platform offering auctions, quick buy and classifieds modes of person-to-person trading. There are a wide range of products listed on eBay India in an array of categories including Art & Antiques, Apparel, Bollywood, Books & Magazines, Cars & Bikes, Computers, Home and Personal Loans, Electronics, Cameras & Optics, Movies, Music, Health & Beauty, Gifts, Home, Jewellery, Mobile Phones, Real Estate, Toys & Baby Products, Travel etc. eBay India is a 100% subsidiary of eBay.com, The World's Online Marketplace.

About eBay.com
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