her black leather handbag sold for a rather conservative £25,000 at auction four years ago but collectors seem less willing to part with the same amount of money for margaret thatcher’s armoured 'battle bus', which is rusting in a dealer's yard because nobody will meet the asking price the 1983 registered, 175 tonne vehicle   which has travelled less than 17,500 miles   was built in an armoured shell for the former prime minister in northern ireland, after the brighton bombing no buyers; the 1983 registered, 175 tonne vehicle   which has travelled less than 17,500 miles   was built in an armoured shell for margaret thatcher's use in northern ireland, following the brighton bombing  strength: the bus, powered by a 12 litre rolls royce engine, can carry about 35 passengers and features a blast proof floor and armour plated glass throughout, as well as a bomb proof armour plated body  it is not clear exactly when baroness thatcher used the vehicle on her visits to northern ireland, although it was deemed safe to transport the politician and her ministers there during the troubles her first visit to northern ireland as prime minister was to belfast in august 1979, three months after taking office   and two years before the hunger strikes by republican prisoners in 1981 and a year after the brighton bomb,  she signed the anglo irish agreement in 1985, giving the irish republic a say in northern ireland's affairs for the first time   causing unrest among unionists the bus, powered by a 12 litre rolls royce engine, can carry about 35 passengers and features a blast proof floor and armour plated glass throughout, as well as a bomb proof armour plated body but the vehicle has been sitting for a year in a lot in rural northamptonshire owned by tanks and surplus military equipment dealer nick mead, after he paid £16,940 for it february 2013 the bus was almost sold last year to a foreign buyer in iran for £17,000, but the deal fell through because of the huge shipping costs involved interior: the vehicle has been sitting for a year in a lot in rural northamptonshire owned by tanks and surplus military equipment dealer nick mead, after he paid £16,940 for it february 2013  seating: designed and built by glover and webb using foden and rolls royce parts, the bus also has its own auxiliary generator and air supply in case of attack  mr mead said: ‘it has been on the market about a year this is not something you can easily flog   (it) gives total protection to 36 people it is not ukraine or afghanistan ‘it might look as out of date as a centurion tank, but it could save a lot of lives you would not be saying it was out of date if someone was firing rocket powered grenades at you’ the bulletproof glass is 2in thick, and the blast proof floor is 2ft deep mr mead said a rocket propelled grenade would blow the wheels off, although the vehicle could take the hit but he added ‘it has blue windows and is about as streamlined as a brick with huge wheels on it ‘it weighs 175 tonnes   double the normal weight of a bus   but can do 80mph because it is fitted with a v5 tank engine it was designed to get her out of trouble on the road: baroness thatcher on a campaign bus in south east london with her husband denis in 1987    a different vehicle to the one now up for sale in northamptonshire  three decades ago: baroness thatcher survived the brighton bombing in 1984 in which the ira's patrick magee attacked a hotel (above) where conservative party conference attendees were staying  landmark moment: one year after the brighton bomb, baroness thatcher (right) famously signed the anglo irish agreement in 1985, giving the republic of ireland a say in northern ireland's affairs for the first time  ‘one guy from the sas rang up and told us some of the windows looked funny because they had been blown out on the training exercise and replaced with a different tint but we have fixed that’ designed and built by glover and webb using foden and rolls royce parts, the bus also has its own auxiliary generator and air supply in case of attack baroness thatcher, who died in 2013, survived the brighton bombing in 1984 in which the ira's patrick magee attacked a hotel where conservative party conference attendees were staying for many years after she left downing street in 1990, the bus was used to ferry troops from londonderry airport to belfast escorted by two saracen armoured vehicles after being sold off by the army, it went to a research laboratory who used it to protect onlookers watching explosions during weapons testing   and was then bought by mr mead’s tanks a lot
1983 175 tonne less than 17,500 miles northern ireland 12 litre
1983 registered, 175 tonne vehicle  has travelled less than 17,500 miles . built in armoured shell for ex prime minister's use in northern ireland . bus is powered by 12 litre rolls royce engine and can carry 35 people 