New Range Rover

Make
Land Rover
Segment
SUV

An early Land Rover Series I that once belonged to the British Royal family is soon to be offered for sale by the UK's Silverstone Auctions.

Manufactured in 1953, the vehicle was first registered the following year, sporting the Royal "NXN 1" number sequence. The late Queen had the car sent to Balmoral Estate in Scotland, where it was exclusively used by senior members of the royal family, including The Duke of Edinburgh and the newly crowned King, Charles III.

The vehicle remained at Balmoral until 1966, when it was purchased by the current owner and subsequently put into storage for many years. Rumor has it that King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) recognized the royal Land Rover and, as a gift, restored the vehicle to showroom condition.

"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," said Rob Hubbard, Sales Director for Silverstone Auctions.

The vehicle later made an appearance on the popular British TV program Antiques Roadshow and even led a procession of Land Rovers at the Queen's Jubilee Pageant in 2021.

The historically significant Series I is expected to fetch between £100,000 - £150,000 (approx. $124,000 - $186,000). That's around the same price as a brand-new Range Rover, but that will be of little concern to monied royalists.

This is the second royal car that Silverstone Auctions has offered in recent months. Princess Diana's 1985 Escort RS Turbo S1 recently sold for a staggering £730,000 (approx. $904,000). Like the rest of the Royal family, the late princess had a penchant for performance cars and previously owned a Jaguar XJS, Mercedes-Benz 500SL, and Audi 80 Cabriolet.

Land Rover is closely related to the British royal family, frequently spotted in the latest generation Range Rover models. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had a soft spot for numerous British marques, with a particular affinity for Bentley. The Crewe-based manufacturer even produced a bespoke State Limousine, gifted to her in 2002.

Her Majesty also had the privilege of receiving the first Bentley Bentayga ever made, signifying her importance to the brand.