Audi R8 raise £620k for Elton John

Two special Audi R8 Spydersupercars helped raise £620,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation last night.

MSN Cars Car of the Year 2011: Audi R8 Spyder

A star-studded auction at Sir Elton’s White Tie & Tiara Ball raised the hefty sum, which was boosted at the last minute thanks to Audi’s generosity.

Initially, just one ‘chrome finish’ Audi R8 Spyder was due to go under the hammer: this quickly sold for £250,000.

However, interest was so strong, the firm agreed to donate a second Audi R8 for auction. This car actually sold twice, too, as the initial bidder submitted it a second time for auction.

This helped boost the total sum to the headline £620k figure, which will go towards providing thousands of men, women and children across 15 countries with life-saving medication and other support.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been instrumental in raising such a magnificent sum for Sir Elton’s charity,” said Jeremy Hicks, director of Audi UK.

“We couldn’t, of course, have done so without the incredible generosity of Sir Elton’s guests, to whom we owe an enormous vote of thanks.”