Stephen Maycock, the consultant specialist for Beatles memorabilia at Bonhams, said he thought it was the first instrument from Abbey Road to be sold on the open market.

BBC: Beatles piano in Bonhams auction at Sussex festival

Of the five teams running in Portugal, only Toyota installed Kers over the first two days - although even the company whose Prius car leads the road-car market place in "hybrid" cars employing similar systems cannot guarantee they will run it in the season opener in Australia on 29 March.

BBC: F1 teams face testing times

Conversions are likely to catch on first in the fleet market, where what matters most is the long-term cost of keeping vehicles on the road.

FORBES: Written by Jim Motavalli