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The Soviet-era hatchback has a quirky Forrest Gump inscription on the dash, and fetched a big price at auction.
A 1974 Fiat 126P owned by actor Tom Hanks has sold for US$83,500 (AU$115,000) at auction, with all proceeds to benefit his charity dedicated to providing support to military caregivers.
Sold through online auction platform Bring A Trailer, the customised Fiat 126P was gifted to the Forrest Gump actor by the city of Bielsko-Biala, Poland.
It came about after Hanks visited the region and posted social media photos of himself jokingly posing with Fiat 126Ps throughout Poland – In response, a resident of Bielsko Biala decided to raise money to send Hanks a restored and customised version of the little Soviet-era hatchback.
The Polski Fiat 126P was built under licence in Poland from 1973 until 2000, and was eminently popular due to its low price.
Tom Hanks’s version features chrome bumpers, 12-inch steel wheels with whitewall tyres, aluminium and wood interior trim, special “Bielsko-Biała for Tom Hanks” and “One of One” badging, while the interior is treated to green and black leather.
The famous Forrest Gump quote “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get” is inscribed on the dash.
Offered on behalf of Hanks by a personal friend, the special 126P was listed with no reserve with driving gloves and recent service records.
The full sale amount will be donated to the Elizabeth Dole foundation and its Hidden Heroes Campaign, chaired by Tom Hanks, which provides resources and support to families of wounded service members of the United States Military.
The final sale price of AU$114,863 is particularly impressive, considering most Fiat 126s trade for less than $10,000.
As part of the Drive content team, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.
He understands that every car buyer is unique and has varying requirements when it comes to buying a new car, but equally, there’s also a loyal subset of Drive audience that loves entertaining enthusiast content.
Tom holds a deep respect for all things automotive no matter the model, priding himself on noticing the subtle things that make each car tick. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t learn something new in an everchanging industry, which is then imparted to the Drive reader base.
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