Warren Buffett's car sells for $73,200 on eBay

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NEW YORK, Sept 22, 2006; Jonathan Stempel writing for Reuters reported that Billionaire Warren Buffett's 2001 Lincoln Town Car on Friday fetched $73,200 at a charity auction held on eBay Inc.'s Web site.

Proceeds will benefit Girls Inc., a nonprofit New York group that offers educational and recreational programs for girls ages 6 to 18 in high-risk, underserved areas such as inner cities. Buffett's daughter Susan sits on the Girls Inc. board.

According to eBay, the winning bidder was "Bill Zanker," whose successful bid topped a $73,100 bid by "Maxcjb."

The apparent winner did not immediately return an e-mailed request for comment.

Arguably the world's most famous investor, Buffett is chairman of Omaha, Nebraska-based holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. . Forbes magazine this week placed his net worth at $46 billion, ranking him as the second-richest American, after Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates.

The winning bid in the 10-day auction compares with the $93,690 it costs to buy a Class "A" share of Berkshire, based on Friday's close.

It also contrasts with the $620,100 that Yongping Duan, a Palo Alto, California investor, agreed to pay in June to win a steak lunch for up to eight people with Buffett in another eBay charity auction.

Buffett's Signature series Town Car has a light gold exterior and 14,000 miles on the odometer. The deal includes the car's "THRIFTY" license plate, and Buffett will don a chauffeur's cap and take the winning bidder from Omaha's airport to pick up the car.

Buffett stopped driving the car last spring when he bought a Cadillac DTS. An earlier auction of his wallet fetched $215,000 for Girls Inc., Buffett has said.

In June, Buffett pledged the bulk of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates is the world's richest person and a Berkshire director.