Del Boy’s iconic Only Fools & Horses yellow van could fetch £40,000 at auction with TV props

Del Boy’s legendary yellow three-wheeler from Only Fools & Horses is heading to auction – and it could fetch a “lovely jubbly” £40,000.

The famous Reliant Regal Supervan III, complete with its “Trotters Independent Trading Co” livery, was one of six vehicles bought by the BBC for the beloved sitcom.

But this particular 1969 van, registration APL 911H, holds a special place in Only Fools & Horses history.

It was the only one of the six used throughout all 13 episodes of the show’s first two series, which aired between 1981 and 1982.

Official documents held in the Reliant Motor Club archive confirm that it appeared in the very first episode, Big Brother, starring alongside David Jason’s Del Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst’s Rodney.

The battered-looking yellow motor also appeared in The Russians Are Coming and, most famously, A Touch of Glass.

That episode saw Del, Rodney and Grandad become embroiled in a disastrous attempt to clean a priceless chandelier at a stately home.

After the chandelier famously comes crashing down, the trio make a hasty escape in their trusty three-wheeler.

More than four decades later, the iconic vehicle is being offered for sale with a collection of props from the sitcom, including a replica Harrison watch and a novelty £6.2 million cheque made payable to D Trotter and R Trotter.

The van has covered around 97,000 miles and has been lovingly restored, with recent mechanical work including a new-old-stock carburettor, brake cylinders and battery.

The fuel system has also received attention, while new tyres and overhauled brakes mean the vehicle can be used at charity events.

Its current owner has also recreated several details from its television heyday, including the grey-primer bonnet hatch, bumpers and wings, along with the red-painted door interiors.

The three-wheeler is now owned by a private collector, who is putting it under the hammer at Iconic Auctioneers’ Classic Sale in November.

It is expected to sell for between £30,000 and £40,000.

Gary Dunne, sales manager at Iconic Auctioneers, said the vehicle was a reminder that a car’s significance is not necessarily about performance or luxury.

He described APL 911H as instantly recognisable and said its connection to the earliest years of Only Fools & Horses made it particularly special.

For fans of Britain’s favourite wheeler-dealers, owning the van could be the ultimate bit of nostalgia – although hopefully without the chandelier-related consequences.

The Classic Sale takes place at the NEC Classic Motor Show in Birmingham on November 15.