Marketing Manager - Bridge Classic Cars
Late Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 Land Rover Series I, originally delivered to Her Majesty at the Balmoral estate, is going to auction with a guide price of ยฃ100 000 – ยฃ150 000.
It has recently been restored to an extremely high standard, with King Charles III rumoured to have helped fund the restoration after recognising the vehicle a few years ago.
Queen Elizabeth II received the Land Rover at Balmoral in 1953. It was later purchased by its former owner in 1966 who ended up storing it for a number of years. During its time in storage, its condition deteriorated until a complete restoration was needed.
Now fully restored, the Land Rover is in exceptional condition. It still features its production chassis number despite being considered a ‘pre-production build’ that was made specifically for the Royal Family. The original features of this very special vehicle include some unique options that you won’t find on any other similar model, including twin rear doors.
Sales Director of Silverstone Auctions, (who will be auctioning the Land Rover), Rob Hubbard said that
“It’s not often that a vehicle with such impressive Royal provenance like this is offered publicly for sale. Its special features and Royal connections make it exceptionally interesting. This Land Rover would doubtless have been used extensively on the Balmoral estate where we know the Royals loved to picnic. It would have been a familiar and much-loved part of Her Majesty and Prince Philip’s private lives.”
If its Royal connections weren’t enough, the 1953 Land Rover Series I has also featured on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and led the Land Rover parade during the jubilee celebrations earlier this year. As the jubilee celebrations were watched by billions, Silverstone Auctions believes that this is “probably one of the most photographed Land Rovers in the world”
The Auction – Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 Land Rover Series I
The auction for the late Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 Land Rover Series I will be held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on the 24th – 26th of February.
Although the guide price is ยฃ100 000 to ยฃ150 000, this special vehicle will likely sell for much more than this. The last vehicle with royal connections sold by Silverstone Auctions was Princess Diana’s Ford Escort RS Turbo which sold for the world record price of ยฃ650 000 in August.
