YAHOO AUTOS
Last month, the streets of London were greeted by the most garish Mercedes in recent memory – Daria Radionova's CLS 350, a car encrusted in one million Swarovski crystals. Radionova, a Russian student living just yards from Harrods, England's most famous shop, received a lot of flak for Bedazzling her ride, but the 21-year-old millionaire attacked the naysayers by stating that when she sells the car, she will "give the money to charity."
Just three weeks on, the car has appeared on eBay, and as of writing this, it is already approaching the $250,000 mark. Crazier still, the auction has a further six days to run.
There should, however, have been an asterisk regarding the donation to those in need — only 10 percent of the money will be given to charity.
The portion of the proceeds will supposedly go to the Manchester & Cheshire Dogs' Home, a rescue facility caring for roughly 200 canines. Last month, the sanctuary burned down, with 53 dogs losing their lives. Public support raised over $1.6 million for the animal shelter in just a few days.
It's not clear what, if anything, Radionova will do with the remaining profits. She said via Facebook that she would also donate a part of the proceeds to a charity that benefits dogs in Moldova, a country situated between Romania and the Ukraine.
Radionova, who received the car as a birthday gift from her parents, says she spent $32,000 on crystals.
She then told the Daily Mail that she spent a further $24,000 to fly her "team" over from Russia to affix the crystals to every inch of her vehicle. That team worked 12 hours a day for two straight months.
While many have criticized the Russian's taste in cars, even with the donation, Radionova may well make a pretty penny on the sale of her Mercedes. As of writing this, 26 people have placed bids, proving that the market for ostentatious automobiles coated in glass shards remains strong.
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