I have to admit although I do not watch a tremendous amount of television, I am a fan of really well-written programs. One example would be Breaking Bad another would be Mad Men. And another would be HBO's critically acclaimed The Sopranos.
It didn't hurt that the production company did conduct a lot of filming in my neck of the woods in northern New Jersey.
According to a press release, the James Gandolfini-signed 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV is going up on the auction block. It's expected to sell in the $30,000-50,000 mark.
The reality is while a standard Escalade isn't worth too much these days, The Sopranos is largely considered one of the best television programs in the history of the medium. While I am sure plenty of people would say otherwise given the show's ending — people STILL are talking about it — it made its mark in the history books.
So, if you want to potentially put a piece of TV history in your driveway, check out the press release below and visit the auction site's webpage.
**AutoSpies.com is NOT related to the seller in any way. Caveat emptor, Spies!
Press release follows here:
Tony Soprano’s Cadillac Escalade up for auction
BOSTON, MA – (October 30, 15) Extraordinary white 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV used on screen by James Gandolfini in his iconic role as Tony Soprano will be auction by Boston-based, RR Auction.
The vehicle was used during the last three seasons of the award-winning HBO series The Sopranos. It was originally leased through Movie Time Cars Incorporated as one of two identical vehicles used in production, with this specific car used primarily for exterior shots including those showing Tony Soprano and his associates entering, exiting, and driving, as well as in shots where the car appeared in the scene during dialogue.
The Escalade represented Tony’s personal car and primary means of transportation, frequently used to show him going to and from his own driveway, meetings with members of the New York families, and the notorious landmarks of the Sopranos’ fictional universe like the Bada Bing strip club and Satriale's Pork Store. It was also utilized in action sequences including the infamous chase from season five in which Tony, angrily trying to collect a debt, drives Phil Leotardo off the road and into a parked car.
James Gandolfini has also prominently signed the interior of the Escalade twice in black felt tip, once inside the driver’s side sun visor, “Thanks for the truck, James Gandolfini,” and once on the panel above the glovebox, “James Gandolfini.”
"A recognizable prop from one of the most acclaimed television series ever produced,” said Robert Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.
Among the other Entertainment & Pop Culture items to featured:
Jimi Hendrix custom recording console, used during his first self-produced American sessions in 1968. This console with producer’s station was custom designed and built by Lenny Stea and Gordon Clark for Sound Center Studios as one of the first eight-track consoles in New York City.
Jim Morrison handwritten poem that was removed from a composition notebook found in the famous ‘127 Fascination’ box left to his girlfriend Pam Courson.
Elvis Presley RCA Victor 33 rpm reference recordings created for the motion picture King Creole.
The Music and Entertainment Icons Auction from RR Auction will run from November 12 through November 19. More details can be found online at www.rrauction.com.
Sopranos star James Gandolfini died of a heart attack, at age 51, while on vacation in Italy, on June 19, 2013.