A 2004 Land Rover Range Rover once owned by Queen Elizabeth II is up for auction in the U.K. via Iconic Auctioneers.
The British royal vehicle fleet has seen some extravagant one-off vehicles, including an open-top Range Rover parade car, though this appears to be a mostly stock example of a third-generation Range Rover.
Royal-specific equipment includes extra lights in the grille, a dog barrier, load space mat, side steps, and mud flaps, according to the auction listing. The Range Rover also has dual rear-window switches and rear grab handles to ease entry and exit, features commonly seen on the late British monarch's vehicles, the listing adds.
Paperwork shows that the Range Rover was first registered in 2004, having been supplied by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) but, typically for royal vehicles, more specific ownership details were not made public. However, auctioneers found video of Queen Elizabeth II driving this Range Rover, which is identifiable by its license plate BN04 EPU. That's the primary evidence for claiming a connection to the late queen.
2004 Land Rover Range Rover formerly owned by Queen Elizabeth II (photo via Iconic Auctioneers)
The right-hand-drive Range Rover currently shows 109,675 miles on its odometer, but was serviced earlier this year and is currently registered in the U.K.through Nov. 7, 2024. Exporting it to the U.S. could prove challenging because, while this generation of Range Rover was sold here when new, this isn't a U.S.-spec version. And it's too new to qualify for the 25-year exemption on foreign-market vehicles.
Auctioneers expect the royal Range Rover to sell for between 50,000 and 60,000 British pounds, or $61,285 to $73,542 at current exchange rates. A Range Rover of this generation likely wouldn't garner such high bids on its own, but one shouldn't underestimate the royal connection. A 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 formerly owned by Princess Diana sold for an astounding $846,000 last year.
