Banksy artwork appears on showroom Dacia Spring, cheapest EV now priceless

Here’s TopGear.com’s roving correspondent, Cory Spondent, with his mostly incorrect exclusives from the world of motoring

The owner of a Dacia dealership in Grimsby has discovered that its showroom model of the new Spring electric car has been graffitied by the secretive British street artist Banksy, thus making it utterly priceless.

Costing less than £15k in entry-level trim, the addition of an original Banksy has immediately increased the display vehicle's value by a factor of more than a hundred overnight.

As a result, untold members of the public have flocked to the Humberside dealership in order to get a glimpse of the piece, which has been entitled ‘Hope Springs Eternal’. Critics have suggested the name hints at cutting political commentary, and have dismissed the idea that it’s ‘just some vague pun’.

“I was absolutely gobsmacked when I opened up this morning. Gobsmacked,” said the owner. “A Banksy, a real Banksy. In my dealership. Unbelievable. Haven’t been this shocked since that owl got in.

“As soon as word spread we had people queuing round the block to have a look at it. I made sure the line went past our Duster and Jogger in the meantime, of course. Got rid of all our brochures too. Lovely stuff.”

It’s not clear what motivated Banksy to use the Dacia Spring as the canvas for his latest work. One visitor insisted it was a take on the rising cost of living, while another merely observed: “If I can get one of these for fifteen grand, why would I spend twice that on a chuffing electric Corsa?”

The owner is now in contact with the local council to discuss security for the piece, which has already been subject to several attempted thefts by people who don’t understand that you can’t simply nick work by an internationally renowned artist and flog it on Ebay without anyone noticing.

“I reckon I might have it crushed,” said the owner. “Like that thing Banksy put through the shredder a few years ago. Went up in value didn’t it?”

Independent experts have confirmed to TopGear.com that this would indeed push the Banksy’s auction price into the tens of millions, although a spokesperson for Dacia stressed that the three-year warranty would be voided.