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Land Rover emerged as a car manufacturer after World War II, with the novel idea of using military-derived all-wheel drive technology in small private trucks. These vehicles, proto-SUVs, were agile, strong, and well-equipped enough to be used as transport, or for hunting, gardening, or other bureaucratic tasks of graceful rides on Britain’s marshy properties. It is not surprising, then, that since the company’s inception, at most, one of its most unwavering consumers has been the ultimate example of the local landed nobility: the royal family.
To celebrate this connection, a collection of 10 Land Rovers used during Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign will be on display this month at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Northern California. “Pebble Beach is the most prestigious automotive venue in the world and is the best position to showcase this unique collection,” said Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, which is sponsoring the exhibition. With assistance from the British Museum “This is an exciting time for British car enthusiasts and their culture. “
After the war, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth’s father, had begun employing military vehicles, rather than the classic state limousines, for some of his more geographically complicated ceremonial tasks, adding troop overhaul and national reconstruction projects. This is how the first Land Rovers arrived. When he was born, he discovered that they were an inevitable replacement for this purpose. “I think the concept of using a Land Rover was born because it was new, it was a British thing and it was very adaptable,” says Mike Bishop, Land Rover. specialist in Jaguar Land Rover Classic, a corporate department committed to the preservation and recovery of its old vehicles.
There are photographs of King George aboard a pre-production 1948 Land Rover prototype, one of a few dozen made during the company’s first year. A few years later, the royal circle of relatives ordered their first official Land Rover: a 1954 Series I 86. ” Soft Top, for use at Balmoral, his estate in Scotland. This two-door Jeep is the oldest of the real Land Rovers to be presented on the Monterey Peninsula.
All cars on display fall into one of the following two categories. The first consideration is those used in an official capacity as ceremonial automobiles for public appearances in motorcades and other state functions. They are all painted in royal burgundy, a rich burgundy long associated with strength and monarchy. The earliest accession in this category is a 1954 series which used Queen Elizabeth’s six-month coronation tour, which visited many Commonwealth countries, adding two months in Australia. The latest is a 2005 Range Rover, with a rear-mounted platform and racing forums built into the tailgate, which was used at most to transport Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry in the 90th birthday parade of the Queen in 2016. Among them was a 1974. The Range Rover, from the first year of production of this iconic style, is specially supplied with a quieter muffler, an open rear cargo area with folding half-seats that also serve as support for the official processional functions from the public and a couple of hidden umbrellas for the inevitable British. rain. Likewise, the parade-ready 1990 and 1998 Range Rovers top this class.
Being a sucker for royal humiliation, I asked Bishop if anything funny had happened at the Queen’s engagement with those official Land Rovers: a fall off the demo platform, a sudden stop, dust splashing on a royal garment, a starter motor stuck. Protesters chanted “God Save the Queen” via the Sex Pistols.
Unfortunately, he did not tell such anecdotes. The only pleasures she perhaps offered were sincere. “Every time she talked to other people about this little collection of vehicles, there was this aura of joy, of absolute respect. I mean, almost like a child’s euphoria,” she said. she says.
The other category of vehicles that will be on display are, like the Series I mentioned earlier, those used by the royal family for private transportation. This package includes a prototype 1966 Series II pickup truck, complete with leather seats, a wooden dog guard seat and special side steps, and drove through Queen Elizabeth around Sandringham, the royal family’s rural retreat in north-east London. This vehicle was replaced by a dark green 1983 Station Wagon 110 with a special radio system as well as handholds and running boards, and was used by the Queen at Sandringham and Balmoral, especially for hunting and fishing trips; It is still part of the Royal Fleet. A green 2009 Range Rover Vogue later entered the family collection and became Her Majesty’s favorite vehicle later in her reign; She was photographed driving. It is also still owned by a relative.
We can see, from the intervals of several decades between one of these private orders, and from the preservation of these vehicles after their replacement, that the royal family favors longevity. “The Queen comes from a time when other people weren’t – I must say, but that’s not the right word. They were conservative. They didn’t need to have the new and most productive things in one or both years. Having a vehicle that lasted decades was more than enough for them. “, says Bishop. They have made smart use of cars and extended their lifespans. “
As an owner of a vintage Range Rover, I know that they have a tendency to spend a large part of their lives in the shop. Therefore, the robustness of the Queen’s cars can perhaps be attributed to some other factor. During the Second World War, as part of her service in the war effort, Her Majesty trained as an automotive technician. “Not only did he like to use cars, but he also understood them from a professional perspective,” Bishop says. Did you go to the site to replace the truck’s oil or repackage the bearings?” Oh, I doubt it,” Bishop says. I think that once she becomes head of state, monarch, I doubt that she will have time to do many things. “
But since the Queen died in that wonderful car junkyard in the sky, her car collection is a repository of her spirit and her continued importance within the royal clan. “For other people who love vehicles, a vehicle almost becomes a component of the home,” Bishop says. “It’s part of the family, right?”
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