Elizabeth II. she was an avid driver. However, she drove without documents for more than 70 years! – The truth

The late British monarch was the only British woman who could drive without a driver’s license. And she enjoyed it to the fullest. Her tastes were distinctly British. In the garage of the royal family, a number of Daimlers, Land Rovers, Jaguars, Aston Martins, as well as Rolls-Royce and Bentley state limousines have been replaced over the course of seven decades. Some of them didn’t even need a license plate. Queen Elizabeth’s cars Although Queen Elizabeth was driven most often, she was a skilled chauffeur from a young age. Although she was taken to the coronation in 1953 in a carriage, she was already a young Elizabeth II. passionate motorcyclist. She reigned on the throne for an incredible seven decades. And just as the British Empire and the whole world changed, so did the cars in the service of the “crown”. But they had one thing in common – they were always British. However, Elžbeta was not one of those who would just allow herself to be transported by professional drivers. She got behind the wheel at the age of 18, when she voluntarily enlisted in the army during the Second World War. She was assigned to a traffic training center, where she completed a driving course and even got to know the technology and maintenance of cars in detail. She drove various vans, ambulances or even trucks. But she never got a driver’s license in civilian clothes, because the queen does not need this document. From Daimler to Rolls-Royce You probably wouldn’t say that about Elžbeta, but she was able to fix things on cars herself or change a flat tire. When she ascended the throne at just 25 years old, she inherited a fleet of royal cars from her father. It was about two Daimler DE 36 in the landaulet version. Together with the Duke of Edinburgh, they already owned a Daimler DE 27, which they received as a gift from the RAF, and also a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, which caught Prince Philip’s eye during a visit to the new Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe. It was a dark green limousine with a Mulliner body. It was this car that became Elizabeth’s first royal “carriage” in 1950. But they had to repaint it in a typical chestnut color, also called “royal burgundy”. The car did not have a license plate, as according to British law a state limousine does not need one. Cars of Queen Elizabeth Rolls-Royce became a key royal brand for many years. Elizabeth was faithful to him for almost 50 years. The Phantom IV started the era of Rolls-Royces in the service of the crown and ended the era of Daimlers. Although for a few more years they performed the function of state vehicles, but not in the position of “unit”. At the same time, Elizabeth also received two Lanchesters as secondary vehicles. The Rolls family later grew to include a landaulet, which allowed the Queen to greet her subjects during tours. This Phantom IV had a removable tag. He used it only when the limousine was not performing state duties. In the 1960s, new Phantom Vs with a rear part of the cabin made of Plexiglas took over. They were the first royal cars with air conditioning and power steering. But the queen did not need it, because she was driven in state limousines by royal chauffeurs, who were supervised by the chief chauffeur. The beloved Defender Royal cars also traveled with the Queen on foreign visits. She was with Phantom V in Italy and Australia in 1961 and in Fiji in 1963. In 1978, a new Phantom VI with a raised roof was added to the collection, which served as her number one until 2002. It was also a gift. Rolls-Royce models ruled the royal garage until the end of the millennium. In addition to state cars, Elizabeth also uses other cars. Her favorite was undoubtedly the Land Rover from 1953. Yes, we are talking about the original off-roader, which later received the title Defender. It had a modified platform and did not use a number plate when it served to transport the Queen on her tours. Land Rovers have proven themselves in the service of the royal court to such an extent that Elizabeth II. some of them she personally used on hunting trips or on her estates. She allegedly owned up to 30 of them. The last of them, the Defeder 110 with a diesel engine, came from 2002. Cars of Queen Elizabeth The classic Defender was the favorite car of the British monarch. She did not hesitate to drive it herself. Luxury Range Rovers also got to speak. One of them had a labrador mascot with a caught pheasant on the hood. But much more famous is the extended Range Rover LWB Landaulet with removable rear roof from 2015. And there were many other cars. For example, Austin Princess or several Daimlers in the role of secondary vehicles, which were mostly used by younger members of the royal family. Still in the nineties. The real turning point came at the turn of the millennium. The then owner of Rolls-Royce, which was the company Vickers, sold the car company to the VW concern in 1999. However, it turned out that the option did not include the rights to the Rolls-Royce name. It was later acquired by BMW. However, Volkswagen was left with Bentley and the original factory in Crewe. On the contrary, BMW had to build a completely new factory and establish a new car manufacturing company. And that was no longer considered British enough by the Queen. Bentley defeated Rolls-Royce Subsequently, she sided with Bentley. Since then, it has not received any new model from Rolls-Royce. In 2002, a consortium of British car manufacturers presented her with the now famous Bentley State Limousine, developed exclusively for the Queen’s needs. And that on the occasion of 50 years on the throne. Its price was estimated at 11 million euros, making it the second most expensive car on the planet. It was based on the Arnage platform with a 6.75-liter turbocharged 8-cylinder with an output of 300 kW, but the traditionally burgundy body was quite new. Up to 250 mm higher, so that the queen can get on easily. A second identical vehicle was purchased by the British yard. These cars were already armored, like the American president’s Cadillac. They were also airtight and equipped with tires that allowed driving with a flat tire. They designed the storage spaces with the size of her majesty’s favorite handbags in mind. Cars of Queen Elizabeth At the turn of the millennium, Bentley took on the role of royal limousine. However, the royal Bentley remained faithful to the previous tradition. Not only with the black-burgundy paint, but also with the material used for seat upholstery. The queen did not like leather. The rear bench seat was covered in Hield Brothers lambswool fabric. These limousines served the queen until her death. We must not forget some newer cars that you probably wouldn’t associate with Elizabeth. For example, the Jaguar X-Type Estate, a small station wagon from the days when Jaguar belonged to Ford. The Queen used it directly in Windsor Park. He is the only person who has the privilege of driving in these areas. Even after grass. Also famous is the dark green Daimler Majestic, which served Elizabeth for private purposes between 2001 and 2004, but also the old Vauxhall Cresta, with which she went on trips with her children in the sixties. Elizabeth II remained at the wheel. faithful almost to the end of her life. She was last caught by photographers driving her green Jaguar when she was almost 90 years old! It’s a respectable feat, especially when you consider that the Queen drove for more than seven decades without documents. Other members of the royal family did not have this privilege and had to pass driving tests, just like other “subjects”.