London: A giant 1950s humanoid robot named Cygan has fetched a whopping 17,500 pounds - almost twice its pre-sale estimate - at an auction here.
The 8-feet tall machine was expected to fetch between 8,000 to 12,000 pounds, but it smashed all estimates when it went under the hammer at Christie`s, South Kensington.
The automaton, made up of 300,000 parts, was nothing short of a wonder when it was first unveiled in 1957.
The humanoid aluminium robot was created by an Italian designer to be a domestic helper.
It amazed audiences with its ability to go forwards and backwards, move its arms and crush drinks cans with its hands.
It was sold to an unnamed buyer in the UK, Christie`s auction house told the BBC.
The buyer outbid a group called Playful Leeds who had tried to raise enough money by crowdfunding to bring the robot to their city so it could welcome visitors.
The sale was part of a special collection at Christie`s called Out of the Ordinary.
PTI
