Queen Elizabeth II was a renowned car enthusiast who loved Land Rover vehicles and even joined the armed forces as a mechanic during World War II.
As the nation commemorates Remembrance Sunday, we’re looking back at the late monarch’s role in supporting the Allied war effort, as well as backing the iconic British car brand since its inception.
The Queen drove Land Rovers for 70 years and was often seen behind the wheel at royal events and around the countryside. Her love of the marque led to the creation of her own custom-made vehicle in 1978.
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Queen Elizabeth WW2 mechanic
As Britain’s longest reigning monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty during the second World War, serving as a mechanic with the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
Born in 1926, Princess Elizabeth was only 13 when WW2 broke out in 1939. She wanted to sign up for the ATS as soon as possible, as the German bombing of London and the Battle of Britain in 1940 had spurred the British public to support the war effort.
However, her parents, King George VI and Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wanted to protect their daughters, as no female royals had joined the military before. Eventually, after much debate, they relented when Elizabeth was 19 and let her join the women’s ATS in February 1945.
Registering as Elizabeth Windsor, she became inductee number 230873, learning to drive at the Mechanical Transport Training Section in Camberley, Surrey. As well as driving lorries, she also learned how to service heavy vehicles, take apart and rebuild engines and change a wheel.
At the time, a newspaper article revealed the princess passed the course in two days less than the expected time, despite the fact she had “never been allowed to ride in a London bus or taxi” at that point. The press dubbed her “Princess Auto Mechanic” as she rose to the rank of Junior Commander, inspiring other young women. She remained in the ATS until after VJ Day.
The only female Royal to serve in the British Army on a full-time active basis, the Queen carried on driving herself around after the war, rather than being chauffeur driven, also teaching her own children and grandchildren to drive.
History of the Land Rover
Princess Elizabeth supported the Land Rover brand following its launch in Solihull in 1948, when her father was given the 100th Land Rover ever produced. In 1952, on becoming Queen, she received her own car, the iconic Land Rover Series I 80", which referred to the wheelbase size. This was the first of many royal cars from the British manufacturer - the Queen had a passion for Defenders and Range Rovers.
Land Rover went from strength to strength, helped by its royal connections, designing predominantly four-wheel drive vehicles with off-road capabilities. They launched the Range Rover in 1970, the Discovery in 1989 and the Freelander in 1997. The first Defender was built in 1983, but wasn’t named until 1990.
Amazingly, the Queen had owned more than 30 Land Rover Defenders before she passed away, aged 96, on 8th September 2022. She was still driving one only days before her death, never giving up her passion for cars.
Queen Elizabeth's car collection
In 1953, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip set off on their 44,000-mile “State Review” royal tour of the Commonwealth in a fleet of specially supplied Land Rovers, featuring an elevated viewing area so the couple could be seen clearly in the rear seat, to the delight of cheering crowds.
A decade later in 1966, one of her favourite models was the Land Rover Series IIa Station Wagon, the first to have a six-cylinder engine and now part of the British Motor Museum’s Royal Collection.
With leather seats, side steps and a wooden dog guard, it was ideal for the royal corgi-lover, who took her beloved dogs everywhere, telling people, “My corgis are family.”
In 1978, a unique Land Rover was built for the Queen, based on the Series 3 model, but with several modifications, including a “traffic lights” system of communicating with the driver from the rear of the car. She was able to convey whether he should stop, slow down or continue along the route.
A second bespoke car, the Queen’s 2002 Land Rover Defender, was one of her most famous vehicles. Featuring a powerful 4.2-litre V8 engine and top-level accessories aimed at providing a comfortable drive, it was a particularly high-end model at the time.
One of her favourite vehicles was a bottle green 2009 Range Rover with its famous Labrador mascot on the bonnet. There were many photos of Her Majesty driving it and the dog adornment was later removed for safe keeping.
Prince Philip funeral car
Following the passing of Prince Philip on 9th April 2021, at the age of 99, a specially adapted Land Rover Defender was used to transport his coffin at his funeral on 17th April. A break from tradition, the vehicle was seen as a fitting mode of transport for the colourful Royal, who had even helped to convert it himself.
The bespoke Land Rover TD5 130 carried the Prince on his final journey from Windsor Castle to the estate’s chapel. It had been produced by Land Rover’s Solihull factory in 2003, when Philip approached the manufacturer with his forward thinking idea.
Commentators described the vehicle as symbolising Prince Philip’s interest in engineering and practicality, while it also represented his own era and life. Like the Queen, he had been a big Land Rover fan and drove them for seven decades.
In the 1960s, he owned several Land Rover Series II models, followed by the Range Rover Classic during the 1970s and 1980s.
Her Majesty’s other cars
As well as owning a series of Land Rovers, including the Range Rover Hybrid Landaulet which she used for official duties, such as presenting New Colours to the Royal Welsh Regiment in Cardiff, the Queen had an impressive collection of personal and state cars. These included a Bentley State Limousine and a number of Rolls Royce Phantom IVs and Vs.
However, her long history with Land Rovers, from the marque’s creation in 1948 until Her Majesty’s passing 74 years later, led royal experts to state this was her favourite brand.
She was frequently seen driving Land Rovers around her estates at Windsor Great Park, Sandringham and Balmoral - she would use them during royal visits to wave to the public. The royal family always used Range Rovers to drive from Aberdeen Airport to Balmoral Castle.
Land Rover was first granted a Royal Warrant in 1951 and the manufacturer’s association with the royal family continued after Queen Elizabeth’s death when King Charles III included it in his first round of Royal Warrants.
Range Rovers are still used as support and security vehicles for the royals today. Land Rover and Jaguar Cars were bought by Tata Motors in 2008 and were later joined to become Jaguar Land Rover Limited in 2013.
