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Jul 31, 2023

Queen’s rare Land Rover on sale for eye

A CUSTOMISED Land Rover used by the late Queen and Prince Philip has gone up for sale at an eye-watering price - and it has some special features. The classic 4x4 was used by the royal couple in

A CUSTOMISED Land Rover used by the late Queen and Prince Philip has gone up for sale at an eye-watering price - and it has some special features.

The classic 4x4 was used by the royal couple in Australia during their 1954 Commonwealth tour.

It is one of only six ever built, with only one other surviving example left, which sits in the British Motor Museum.

The car was modified to accommodate the unusual requirements of touring royals.

This included a unique rear tub that allowed the pair to stand and wave to the adoring crowds as they were driven along.

It also features a specially-made rear door that allowed them to get on and off gracefully.

Beautifully finished in claret red, the car underwent two separate restorations, one in 2015 and another in 2018.

A private collector of early Land Rovers has now put it up for auction, with the gorgeous classic expected to fetch up to £120,000.

Tim Schofield from auctioneers Bonhams said: "This is not the first time Bonhams have sold royal Land Rovers, but this one is particularly special because it's an early series I Land Rover and was used on the Queen and Prince Philip's coronation tour.

"It was one of several cars used on that tour but we think we have found photos of this particular one being used in front of tens of thousands of people.

"It's also quite interesting because it has developments that were not introduced as standard until later cars - such as the sills to conceal the exhaust and fuel tank."

The padded seats in the rear are even at different levels to accommodate the height difference between the couple.

The Series I was introduced in 1948 and was the first production offering from the iconic British manufacturer.

Its 2-litre inline four meant it was no slouch in performance terms compared to other '50s cars, with this specific vehicle named best in its class at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It will be sold at Bonhams' Goodwood Revival sale in Chichester, Sussex, on September 9.

The sale comes after a normal-looking family Ford was snapped up for an whopping sum due to some special modifications.

Meanwhile, an Aston Martin that was discovered riddled with holes in a field has now been revealed to be worth £500,000.