Friday, June 08, 2007

Concorde parts for September auction

Published by ukinfo under Auction News on June 8th, 2007

Spare parts made for Concorde - the world’s first and only commercial supersonic transport - are to be auctioned in Toulouse in late September, organisers said today.

The Aerotheque Association said it arranged the Sept. 28-Oct. 1 sale to generate funds for a planned airplane park in Toulouose.

The auction includes 835 lots, from hulking spare parts to paraphernalia and pilot uniforms, and was expected to bring in about $US337,000

The Concorde made its maiden voyage 1969, but was retired in 2003 amid ballooning costs and dwindling ticket sales after a crash in 2000 that killed 113 people. The craft had been commercialised by British Airways and Air France.

The planned museum park, Aeroscopia, is to open in 2010 and promote the history of Aerospatiale Toulouse, the maker of Concorde and the precursor of giant plane-maker Airbus.