Range Rover Fit For A Queen Is Snapped Up By Billionaire

A Range Rover that was used by Queen Elizabeth II has been bought by an Indian billionaire for £224,850. The Times reports that the blue vehicle was used to transport Barack and Michelle Obama on the US president’s state visit in 2016. It was also driven by Prince Philip. 

The Range Rover looks much like any other, but it has retained some of its special features that betray its royal background. The most striking feature is the original number plate that was used when the vehicle was in service. However, it is not a regular number plate as such, but contains the word ‘BRAMLEY’ in white lettering on a black background.

The Range Rover has been bought by Yohan Poonawalla, 52, who is the son of an Indian business magnate. It has several hidden modifications, including a concealed siren beneath the bonnet, with a sticker warning: “Wear protection! Activation of this siren may damage unprotected ears!”

The car also retains a set of grab handles used by the late Queen, and has a sticker bearing the royal coat of arms on the windscreen. Poonawalla has an established collection of luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Silver Phantom VI that was used for royal tours. 

Mohammed Luqman Ali Khan, who looks after the vehicle collection, said: “For the American president and the first lady to choose to travel in a British automotive icon such as Range Rover with the Queen, and with the duke at the wheel is unprecedented. This car is a motoring relic of the much-celebrated ‘Anglo-American special relationship’.”

He added: “As a collector of royal cars, this particular automobile piqued his interest. He has in his collection another royal Land Rover, a Series 1, which belonged to the Maharajah of Kutch. I thought this car would be a nice addition to complement it and the latest Defender in the collection.”

Poonawalla told The Times: “This was an ultra-rare opportunity I couldn’t let go, simply because there are not many cars in the world that can claim the distinction of transporting not one but two heads of states and their spouses at once, and that too within the environs of one of the most historic palaces in the world, Windsor Castle”.

The British monarchy often uses Range Rover vehicles for official and private duties, and Land Rover was granted a Royal Warrant in 1951. Over the decades, the royal family have been supplied with a series of customised 4×4 vehicles. In 2021, a Land Rover TD5 Defender 130 model that was designed by Prince Philip was used to carry his coffin.

Many of these historic vehicles are on display at the British Motor Museum. A smaller proportion are sold on the private market, although usually all traces of its past use have been removed.