One of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s earliest Land Rovers, a 1953 Series I, is going under the auction hammer in February 2023. The vehicle, supplied by Land Rover to Balmoral Castle in early 1954, has some of the closest ties to the late Queen of any Land Rover that’s been sold into public hands.
The vehicle was first delivered to Balmoral in 1954, for the use of the Royal Family. Registered with the plate NXN 1, it’s seen in many photos of life in Balmoral from 1954 to 1966, and was a part of the childhood of all four of the late Queen’s children. The vehicle was built to a custom specification for the royals, including unique swing-open twin rear doors instead of the usual drop-down tailgate of the era.
In 1966, it was sold locally, and spent much of the time in between sitting in a garage becoming more and more derelict. After serving as a shelf for a few decades, it was recently fully restored to its original condition in time to lead the parade of Land Rovers for The Queen’s 70th Jubilee in June. The restoration was rumored to have been partially funded by King Charles III who recognized the significance of the vehicle.
The Series I led the parade of Land Rovers at the Jubilee, alongside several other Land Rovers with a royal pedigree. Now it’s for sale with Silverstone Auctions, as part of a February “Race Retro Classic and Competition Car Sale.” Estimates for its sale price are £100,000 - £150,000, considering its pedigree and the intrinsic value from just being a well-restored Series I. Hopefully, after a careful restoration, it won’t disappear from the public eye.
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