Marilyn Monroe's Golden Globe sells for record $250,000 at auction

(Reuters) - Marilyn Monroe's Golden Globe Award sold for a record-breaking $250,000 at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California, auction officials said late Saturday. The 1961 award statue for World Film Favorite Female from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association made history as the highest selling Golden Globe sold at auction. Monroe's raven black two-seater, 1956 Ford Thunderbird, which was auctioned for the first time, fetched $490,000 at Icons & Idols: Hollywood, which took place Friday and Saturday. Monroe, one of the most collectible celebrities, was pictured driving in the car with her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, shortly after their June 1956 wedding. The movie star owned the vehicle for six years until shortly before her death in 1962. Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, said the car was "not only part of automotive history but comes with an aura of glamour, romance and tragedy of a true Hollywood legend." Monroe gifted the Thunderbird to the son of her acting coach, Lee Strasberg, in 1962. The current owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, tracked the vehicle down through registration and other documents. The car has undergone restoration but retains many original parts. Monroe's copy of Playboy's first issue with her on the cover, signed by publisher Hugh Hefner, sold for $32,000 along with almost a dozen other items owned by the iconic actress. The auction also included items from other celebrities including pop stars Tina Turner and Cher. (Reporting by Rich McKay; Editing by Himani Sarkar)