There are many classic cars with notable former owners, but none quite as significant as our very own Queen Elizabeth II.
Daimler, one of the UK’s oldest car manufacturers, was founded in 1896 with its royal association starting just two years later, when the Prince of Wales was given a ride on a Daimler by John Douglas-Scott-Montagu. In 1900, Daimler sold the Prince of Wales his first royal car, with coachwork built by Hooper and Co of St James Street, London. In 1902, upon buying a second Daimler, King Edward VII awarded the marque a Royal Warrant to supply cars to the Royal Household.
After years of the prestigious association and a number of equally impressive automobiles supplied to the royals, Daimler became part of Jaguar Cars Limited in 1960. The cars were designed to sit above the Jaguars, competing with the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Despite the merge with Jaguar, the royal cars kept on rolling off the production line, all the way up until 2001, when this Daimler Supercharged V8 was specified by and presented to Queen Elizabeth II. Sporting a supercharged V8, as its name suggests, this Daimler also comes equipped with a helping of James Bond gadgetry, as would be expected of a royal mode of transport. Flashing blue strobes are built into the fog lamps, alongside flashing headlights and a blue neon located behind the rear view mirror to signal to guards where the car was, in the event of a smoke bomb attack. Nifty, hey?
Inside, it’s a similar story with an elongated armrest adapted to fit the Queen’s particular type of handbag and additional window controls in the back, owing to her fondness of fresh air while in the car. Finished in British racing green with a ‘Catkin’ beige and green leather interior, the car registers just 15,000miles on the clock – 2500miles of which was undertaken by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Department as a test before handing the car over.
Guide Price: £50,000 – £60,000
This car will go under the hammer at the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale 2016 by Silverstone Auctions between the 12 and 13 November. Click here for more details.
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