Madonna's Merc under the hammer

Michael and Madonna, thanks to Bonhams and Getty Images

The luxurious Mercedes-Benz Sean Penn gave to Madonna has just been sold by Bonhams Auctions for £55,319.
   Oscar winner Penn gave the material girl the gorgeous 560SL convertible in 1987, the year she embarked on her Who’s That Girl World Tour. The marriage didn’t last the year, but Madonna clearly loved the car, and kept it until 1996.
   The history file with the car includes this one of her taking Michael Jackson for a spin. We don’t know how fast they went, but the Merc had a rumbling 5.5-litre V8 engine and a potential top speed of 136mph.
   The car was eventually sold to a couple in Oregon, and from 2006 onwards it was owned by a prominent Texas collector. The current owner, a Austrian collector, purchased in November 2011. It was sold again at the exclusive Bonhams Mercedes-Benz Auction at the Merc Museum in Stuttgart on 12 July. The first owner is recorded as Madonna Ciccone.