Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II would have been proud to watch 10 of her royal Land Rovers march through the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as though they were Trooping the Colors at Horse Guards Parade. This was the first time this collection of vehicles made their way to the United States, and they put on quite a regal display. These cars, only one of which remains in service to the Royal Family, included State Review vehicles as well as personal shooting brakes and touring cars used by Her Majesty throughout the Commonwealth and at her private homes in Windsor, Sandringham, and Balmoral.
Originally gathered together to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing at Goodwood’s Revival in 2023, executives at Land Rover hoped the cars might spend more time on the road spreading goodwill and serving as a remembrance of a lady dearly beloved worldwide and lost. The idea of coming across the pond to America seemed a long shot, but Sandra Button, Chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, saw fit to make the idea real. This year’s show lawn, resplendent with pre-war Bugattis and Delahayes, all manner of Maseratis as this year’s featured marque, and a special smattering of wedge-shaped concept cars from the 1970s, it was a refreshing sight to see so many off-road vehicles look right at home.
Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, began a relationship with the brand back in 1948 when Land Rover first came into being and received a Royal Warrant from His Majesty in 1950. It took only ten months for the folks at Land Rover to go from the initial concept to production of the Series I, and improvements were often made on the fly. Customers, including the Royal Family, could turn in their cars for free upgrades as they became available.
Given the lands on royal properties, having off-road vehicles, not unlike those used in World War II, proved vital for both family and staff. The first, the 1954 NXN 1 car, was originally commissioned by King George for duties around the Balmoral Estate and now lives with the Land Rover Classic collection. However, it quickly became clear that one car would not suffice for King George and his staff, and the fleet quickly grew. And both 86-inch or 107-inch wheelbase vehicles, which would be the 90- and 110-inch versions we see today, were ordered for specific duties.
Several State Review cars made a showing on the lawn and featured details literally fit for a queen. Painted in a bespoke Royal Claret color with hand-painted Royal Crests, these vehicles were shipped to countries in the Commonwealth and served as a way for a young Queen Elizabeth to get out and see her subjects. Not unlike the famed Pope mobiles, these Land Rovers, ranging from 1954 Series I 86-inch Royal Ceremonial to the 2005 Range Rover L322 RoyalCeremonial State, would transport the Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburg, through the far corners of Australia and New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa, to her people. And flock to see her they did. According to Land Rover historians, thanks to these State Review cars, at the time of her death, more than one-third of British subjects across the globe could say they’d personally seen the Queen.
As these were working cars, they were wholly bespoke, getting practical and clever details added over the years to help Her Majesty perform state duties. “Originally, there were just seats in the back, but out on dirt roads, things got a bit bumpy, so coachbuilders at [Hooper & Company] kept looking for ways to make things better. You can’t have Her Majesty wobbling around back there trying to look dignified,” said Michael Bishop, initially introduced as Mr. Land Rover, but whose official title is as a representative for Sales, Service, and Public Relations. Indeed not.
In order to keep Her Majesty and the Duke steady, small deployable seats were built into the interior. These could be put away when the Queen was seated, but when standing, the royal bottoms would rest on them, keeping the Queen and Consort from bobbing about. These seats were measured to exact specifications down to the heels of their shoes. Look closely, and there’s an umbrella holder tucked underneath the grab bar. Queen Elizabeth II always rode behind the driver, so on the right side in most circumstances, and Philip to her left. It’s interesting to note that these State Review cars were only for Her Majesty. It was rare that she allowed another member of the family to ride with her, but occasionally she did.
Several of the cars included an auxiliary gauge which showed mph in quarters of a mile. With itineraries timed to the minute, drivers would be able to process with greater precision. If, say, 4.5 mph was the correct speed to get Her Majesty to a certain spot on time, then the driver could arrive with accuracy.
Included in the collection on the lawn were also personal vehicles that belonged to the Queen. Filled with distinct details, these Land Rovers are a testament to the lady’s practical nature. The green linoleum that lines the rear of the 1983 Land Rover 110 Station Wagon, A444 RYV, has scratch marks from her Corgi’s nails, and to the left of the driver’s seat hangs the equivalent of the Batphone for emergency calls to Navy mucky mucks. These private vehicles were used for hunting, some have gun racks as in the 1966 Series IIa 109, which was also one of the first to be powered by the six-cylinder engine.
“The Queen was a car person. She loved to drive,” Bishop said. Perhaps that love started during the war when a young Elizabeth was a mechanic in service of the British troops. “She was a very confident driver,” he continued and was seen on more than one occasion hustling about behind the wheel. Her last car was a V8 Range Rover with a manual transmission. Yet another reason to love QEII.
The 2009 L322 Vogue still works in the Royal Fleet today and was made available to Land Rover by His Majesty King Charles. This car features a unique Labrador hood ornament on its bonnet.
If you missed the royal Rovers, then Paul Barritt, Executive Director of JLR Classic in Coventry, England, seems keen to give you another opportunity. “Americans have just as much of a fascination with the Royal Family and these cars as we do. They’re class agnostic. A farmer uses these vehicles just as much as the Royals,” he said. “We’re thrilled to show America this special group of vehicles, and since they’re here, we’re hoping to get them out again. Possibly to some events on the East Coast, but we’ll see.”
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Images: Nick Dimbleby for Land Rover
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