Vauxhall Astra that was raced against the clock by stars such as Hugh Jackman and Benedict Cumberbatch sells for more than double its market value

The red Vauxhall Astra that was driven by celebrities on Top Gear for its Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment has sold for £17,800 at auction.

The family hatchback was returned to Vauxhall after the last series of the BBC motoring show was cut short following Jeremy Clarkson's "fracas" with a producer, before being sold today through eBay to raise funds for the automotive industry charity BEN.

Famous names who did timed laps in the Astra on Top Gear include Hugh Jackman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson and Will Smith, but fastest of all was X-Factor presenter Olly Murs.

The 2013 Astra has the standard 113bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine and is in the Tech Line specification, which includes alloy wheels, a digital radio, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and satnav.

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It also has several non-standard features that were added for its TV role, including a full roll cage and racing seats with five-point safety belt harnesses

The roll cage means the airbags have been disabled, so the unknown buyer would need to have these reactivated before the car would be road legal.

A thorough mechanical check might also be sensible, because the car has had a hard life, despite covering just 2,908 miles from new.

On the eBay advert the bodywork was described as being "in good condition" but with "some minor marks from use", while the inner door panels have apparently been altered to accommodate the roll cage.

The former Top Gear Astra attracted 67 bids and sold for more than double the price that the same car would go for without the TV connection; the valuation experts at Cap Automotive reckons a 2013 1.6 Tech Line Astra is typically worth £7,775-£8,325.

Even a brand new Astra in the same specification costs only £17,485, but then that would just be a reasonably priced car rather than the ultimate Top Gear souvenir.

Top 10 times in the Reasonably Priced Car

Olly Murs 1.44.6 Nicholas Hoult 1.44.7 Aaron Paul 1.44.7 Brian Johnson 1.45.1 Jimmy Carr 1.45.6 Hugh Jackman 1.46.1 David Haye 1.46.7 Warwick Davis 1.46.8 Margot Robbie 1.47.1 Will Smith 1.47.2

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