Treatment of racemic 1-(diphenylphosphanyl)-2-[(methoxycarbonyl)methyl]ferrocene successively with NaN(SiMe3)2 and methyl iodide affords the C-alkylated product, 1-(diphenylphosphanyl)-2-[1-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]ferrocene (6), as a mixture of diastereoisomers in ca. 10:1 ratio, from which the major (S,Rp/R,Sp)-diastereoisomer is easily isolated by crystallisation. (S,Rp/R,Sp)-6 reacts with [Pd(LNC)(MeCN)2]ClO4 (LNC = 2-[(dimethylamino-κN)- methyl]phenyl-κC1) to give the cationic bis-chelate complex (S,Rp/R,Sp)-[Pd(LNC)(6-κ2O,P)]- ClO4 (9). The structures of (S,Rp/R,Sp)-6 and 9 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Hydrolysis of ester 6 to the corresponding carboxylic acid proved to be difficult, being complicated by racemisation at the chiral carbon atom and oxidation of the phosphanyl group.