What Was The Last Land Rover That Queen Elizabeth II Owned?

While the British royal family has a treasure trove of rare cars tucked away in their official collection, the late Queen Elizabeth II's ride of choice wasn't quite as exotic as some enthusiasts might expect. The queen was well known for her appreciation of Land Rovers and owned a plethora of them over the decades, both for official and for personal use.

The last official "State Review" Land Rover made for her passing was a hybrid Range Rover with a custom platform at the rear where the queen could stand during parades. Land Rover has a long history of providing Her Late Majesty with State Review vehicles, with the first one being a Land Rover Series I back in 1953.

The most recent State Review Range Rover made its debut in 2015, when the queen appeared at a military event in Cardiff, Wales. Under its hood sat a diesel engine paired with an electric motor and battery, with the car able to run in all-electric mode for short periods. Its capabilities and Royal status make it arguably one of the best Land Rovers of all time.

The State Review Range Rover was reserved for official events, but when she wasn't on royal duty, Queen Elizabeth II could still often be seen behind the wheel of a Range Rover. Her favorite car for everyday use was a 2009 Range Rover, which she was seen using for many years after purchasing it. It featured a custom Labrador mascot on its hood, but other than that, it looked much like any other 2009 Range Rover.

The car saw plenty of use over its decade and a half of active royal service, and had around 88,000 miles on the odometer at the time of the queen's passing. Although the car has passed its mandatory annual inspections every year since 2022, it has covered only a couple of hundred miles since then. Both the 2015 State Review Range Rover and the queen's personal 2009 Range Rover have made public appearances in recent years, with both vehicles exhibited at the Goodwood Revival festival in 2023.

Alongside her more recent purchases, the queen also had a number of older Land Rovers in the royal fleet. The original Series I State Review Land Rover was the first to be ordered by the Palace, but it was quickly followed up by another Series I Land Rover that was ordered by Elizabeth's father, King George VI. It spent decades ferrying various Royal family members, including Queen Elizabeth I, around their Scottish estate. In 2010, it was sent back to Land Rover for a full restoration. 

Another notable Land Rover in the queen's collection is the 1974 Range Rover State Review, which was used for official duties by the royal family until it was retired in 2002. It was designed to let the queen stand and wave at her subjects during parades, and featured folding seats and hidden umbrella compartments to ensure that she wasn't caught out by Britain's notoriously unpredictable rain showers.

Her Range Rover was her vehicle of choice during her later life, but the queen also previously drove a classic Defender 110 V8, which remains in the royal collection today. Also in the collection is a long wheelbase Defender 130, which was bought for use on the royal family's Sandringham estate, and is reportedly nicknamed Jumbo. Despite her affection for the Defender as a model, she never owned a current generation Land Rover Defender 110, preferring instead to stick with the classics.