For anyone who ever swooshed a plastic X-wing around their living room making “pew-pew” noises, prepare to have your mind blown. A screen-used filming miniature of Luke Skywalker’s “Red Five” X-wing Starfighter from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back is up for auction, and its price tag is from a galaxy far, far away. The starting bid is a cool $175,000, which, after the house’s 25% Buyer’s Premium, jumps to a hyperspace-worthy $218,750 just to get in the game.
This is no ordinary collectible; it’s a tangible piece of cinematic history from what many consider the best film in the saga. This specific 12″ x 11″ x 2″ model was used by the legendary Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for multi-element motion control shots in the 1980 classic. You can be sure it’s Luke’s personal ride thanks to the five distinct red stripes on its wings and the presence of a tiny, heroic “R2-D2” astromech plugged into the back. This is the very ship that flew through the battle on Hoth, carried Luke to Dagobah for his Jedi boot camp with Yoda, and later zipped him to Cloud City on Bespin.
The item’s authenticity is as solid as a carbonite block. It comes with a facsimile letter of authenticity from Brian Johnson, an Academy Award-winning visual effects artist for both Alien and Empire, who was the Effects Supervisor for Lucasfilm at the time. Johnson confirms the model was made at ILM in San Rafael and even names Ken Ralston as the cameraman and Mike Fulmer and Wesley Seeds as the likely detailers. Further cementing its pedigree, the miniature was previously sold at a Profiles in History auction in 2012 and now comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Heritage Auctions.
Hosted by Heritage Auctions, this iconic prop is part of the “Hollywood/Entertainment Signature Auction” scheduled for July 16-18, 2025. While the model exhibits some age and production wear, it stands as one of the most instantly recognizable artifacts in science fiction film history. For a potential buyer, this isn’t just acquiring a “toy”; it’s preserving a piece of the magic that brought a groundbreaking universe to life before the age of digital dominance. The force is strong with this one, and its price tag proves it.
Roll credits to an epic orchestral soundtrack
