DJ Chris Evans buys £12m car to celebrate audience record

Chris Evans splashed out on a £12 million Ferrari as he celebrated pulling in a bigger breakfast show audience than Sir Terry Wogan. (REX FEATURES)

Chris Evans splashed out on a £12 million Ferrari as he celebrated pulling in a bigger breakfast show audience than Sir Terry Wogan.

The 44-year-old Radio 2 DJ took delivery of the Ferrari 250 GTO this week, auction sources confirmed today.

Evans posted a picture of the sought-after 1960s classic on Twitter, with the caption: "The new one has arrived."

A spokesman for RM Auctions, which sold the car on behalf of a Japanese collector, said the car had been bought by "a very enthusiastic British buyer".

When asked whether the buyer had paid £12 million, the spokesman said: "That is the sort of price you would expect to pay."

Evans, who is currently out of the country, sold three Ferraris from his famous collection of sports cars to pay for the 1963 model, the Sun reported.

The car reportedly cost £6,000 when it was first sold 47 years ago and only 36 of the vehicles, which have a top speed of 174mph, were made.

The arrival of his dream car comes in a week when Evans was already celebrating an all-time record radio audience which smashed through the bar set by his predecessor, Sir Terry.

Official figures showed 9.53 million listeners tuned in each week to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 - the biggest audience recorded for any radio show since current research methods began in 1999.

Evans chalked up over a million more listeners than Sir Terry had when he bowed out.

Evans is seen as a former wild man of broadcasting who famously left breakfast shows on Radio 1 and Virgin Radio under clouds of controversy.

He recently hosted Radio 2's drivetime show and has admitted he would have to "prove" himself forever if he wanted to escape his controversial past.

Plans for Evans to return to television to host The One Show on Friday nights are thought to have upset Adrian Chiles, who recently quit the show.