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- 1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster previously owned by Rod Stewart
- Being auctioned online through Lloyds Auctions as part of The Darryn Lyons Collection
- Bidding closes on 31st October 2026.
- Car was purchased by Australian businessman Darryn Lyons from a specialist dealer in England
Mayor of Geelong, nightclub impresario, author, paparazzi king, Chairman of BIG Group of Companies; there are a million ways to describe the life of Darryn Lyons. But owner of a 1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster, once owned by British singer and songwriter Sir Roderick David Stewart, might be one of the coolest.
“Mr Paparazzi” famously built a $58 million AUD fortune primarily through his celebrity photo agency, Big Pictures, and later served as the Mayor of Geelong. However, he’s recently drawn attention for his criticism of the government and for choosing to leave Australia for a better life in Thailand. “I’m still a passionate Australian, and it’s sad to see my country going down the toilet,” said Mr Lyons in an interview with the Herald Sun from Bangkok. He didn’t leave much food for thought when it came to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese either.
“You’ve got a Prime Minister who’s as dumb as a fence post. The capital gains. The budget changes. It’s been a calamity. But this isn’t just about Albo and Labor — even though they’ve been a catastrophic failure for Australia — it’s both sides. Common sense is not prevailing.”
Now that the Mohawk mayor with the pink hair spends most of his time abroad, he’s put plenty of his personal belongings up for grabs through Lloyds Auctions. Rod Stewart’s 1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster will be included in a seven-part auction series featuring vehicles, luxury watches, designer fashion, antiques, wine, fine art, and memorabilia collected by Lyons over decades in Australia and overseas.
1/6The Lamborghini was one of Lyons’ most treasured possessions, saying it fulfilled a childhood dream, and noted that despite numerous offers over the years, he had never previously been willing to sell it. With the car set to hammer, he recounts the time he was taken on a high-speed test drive through the Oxfordshire countryside by a former racing driver-turned-salesman, which he described as one of the most frightening experiences of his life.
Lyons has described the Lamborghini as an unforgettable driving experience, saying the car felt incredibly planted, powerful and unlike anything else he had been in.
“It’s been one of the biggest thrills of my life. As a small boy, I dreamed of one day owning and driving a car like this, so when it goes, there will absolutely be a tear. It has given me a huge amount of fun over the years, and, in my view, it remains one of the greatest cars ever built,” Lyons said. “Several people have offered to buy it over the years, but it was never for sale. This is the first time I’ve decided it should go with the rest of the collection.”
The vehicle is one of the headline lots in the seven-part auction series that includes a Champagne-coloured 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider with a Gated 6-Speed Manual.
You’ll also find a handful of luxury watches, such as a diamond-set Cartier Santos, Jacob & Co. World Time, and a Rolex President Day-Date. It’s an auction that combines celebrity provenance with a deeply personal backstory for Lyons, who has long regarded the car as one of the most treasured possessions in his collection. Just don’t look through his furniture, or the Anko microwave.
“This is the kind of car that captures immediate public attention because it brings together celebrity ownership, collector appeal and a very strong personal story,” said Lee Hames, Chief Operations Officer, Lloyds Auctions. “It stands out not only because Rod Stewart previously owned it, but because of the way Darryn Lyons came to buy it and the significance it has carried for him since.”
“The story behind this car gives it a different level of interest,” Hames added. “It has celebrity ownership, it has Darryn Lyons’ own history attached to it, and it is exactly the kind of vehicle that attracts interest from collectors, enthusiasts and the wider public worldwide.”
The 1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster is being offered online through Lloyds Auctions, with bidding now open and ending on Saturday, the 31st of October, 2026.
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