The worlds of luxury motoring and sporting legend combine with the news that a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Convertible once belonging to boxing legend Muhammad Ali will be auctioned by Bonhams.  

Let’s forego any puns on “float like a butterfly”—though it is a Rolls-Royce and “float” is often used to describe the airy, smooth ride of the British marque—and instead look to its pedigree. The vintage automobile estimated to fetch between US$47,000 to US$70,000 (plus buyer’s premium) when it goes under the hammer without reserve on Oct. 5 in Belgium.

The car is one of only 272 Silver Shadow left-hand drive convertibles created by the then in-house coach builder H.J. Mulliner Park Ward in Willesden, London. At the time of its release, it was the company’s most-expensive, top-of-the-range model according to Bonhams.

Ali purchased the Rolls-Royce new in New Jersey in Dec. 1970 for around US$16,000 (about US$105,000 in today’s dollars), according to the auction house, the same year his boxing license was reinstated after his three-year suspension due to draft refusal during the Vietnam War. The convertible was hand built and features luxury appointments including walnut veneers, Connelly leather, and Wilton carpeting.

“This Silver Shadow was bought new by a sporting legend in the absolute top spec,” says Gregory Tuytens, motor car specialist at Bonhams. “Several bespoke options ordered by Ali are still fitted on the car today, such as the special headrests.”

It was Rolls-Royce’s greatest car for “The Greatest,” as Ali referred to his acumen in the ring. Born Cassius Clay, Ali took gold at the 1960 Olympics before becoming the heavyweight champion in 1964 when he defeated Sonny Liston. Following his suspension, Ali would reclaim the heavyweight title two more times in the 1970s, first by defeating Joe Frazier and then George Foreman.

Ali had a boxing career record of 56 wins, five losses, and 37 knockouts before his retirement in 1981 at age 39. He was named BBC Sportsman of the Century in 1999. In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He died on June 3, 2016 at age 74.

A noted Rolls-Royce enthusiast who owned many in his lifetime, Ali drove the convertible for six years. The vehicle has since travelled from the U.S. to Europe, where the current owner, who resides in Holland, has placed the car on the market once again.

Never completely restored, the current owner has kept the car as original as possible. The vehicle features a 6.75 liter, V8 automatic engine, weighs around 4,800 pounds, and at the time of its debut, was listed as having a top speed of 118 mph (190 km/h). The speedometer reading sits at 4,475 miles according to the images supplied by Bonhams.

The new owner will also receive accompanying documentation including copies of the original car specification sheet and warranty acknowledgement. Also included, a copy of Ali’s temporary driver’s license under his birth name of Cassius Clay, and a photograph of the boxer with his friend Diana Ross and the car outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas before Ali’s 1973 fight with Joe Bugner.

Four-door versions of the Silver Shadow are currently available for between US$10,000 to US$20,000, while the latest convertible from Rolls-Royce, the Dawn, will set you back around US$350,000 depending on finishes.

Ali collectibles have been sought after both prior to and following his death. A pair of boxing gloves signed by Ali and given to the late actor Robin Williams in 2006, when he was honored with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, will be auctioned on Oct. 4 as part of the Sotheby’s sale from the estate of the comedian. The gloves are estimated to attract bids of US$1,000 to US$2,000.