The story of the famed Green Goddess Rolls Royce begins in 1959, when a 27-year-old Elizabeth Taylor married her fourth husband, singer Eddie Fisher, in a highly publicised wedding. Taylor's third husband, Mike Todd, had tragically died in a plane crash a year earlier and Taylor sought solace with Fisher, a close friend of the couple. However, it was a controversial pairing as Fisher was married at the time to Taylor's close friend and fellow actress, Debbie Reynolds, when the two began an affair.
A year after the wedding, Taylor ordered the 1961 custom-made Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II and had it painted the iconic smoky green colour, the same shade as her wedding dress, giving it the name the 'Green Goddess'. It was sent to The Pierre hotel in New York, where she was living at the time.
In 1962, Taylor and Fisher travelled to Rome so Taylor could begin filming Cleopatra in which she had the starring role. The Green Goddess crossed the Atlantic with them and was often driven to the set. During the filming, Taylor met Richard Burton, who played Mark Anthony, and began a famous affair with him. Burton was often seen driving the Green Goddess in 1963 back in California, confirming the adulterous liaison. The two would later marry in 1964, right after Taylor and Fisher divorced.
Taylor kept the car for 20 years and was often photographed in it for magazines. In 1978, she sold it to a collector in California, who kept it in pristine condition for over 40 years.
While it was expected to sell on 6 August at The Pierre for US$1-2 million, the Rolls Royce only achieved $450,000 ($520,000 after fees, or £430,000) and was purchased by a California car dealer. In addition to the famous car, a Versace dress owned by Taylor was also sold for $2,500 (£2,069).