A Land Rover once owned by King Charles III is being auctioned.
Its owner – and driver – was just Prince Charles when the Defender model vehicle was finished to his specs and delivered to the Royal Garage at Highgrove House in November 2010.
The Keswick-green bodywork is very standard issue for this type of vehicle, but the number plate, 72 HRH is a giveaway.
With the car comes a letter to the now-king’s head chauffeur, Tim Williams, confirming the delivery.
The sellers, Iconic Auctions, believe Mr Williams didn’t drive it though. Light wear to the driver’s seat only suggest Charles took the wheel himself.
It’s quite deluxe for a Land Rover, with heated seats giving its owner a warm ride.
His Royal Highness is described as a “fastidious owner” and the car has just over 24,500 miles on the clock.
The asking price – excluding that number plate – is an estimated £42,000 to £50,000.
A new Land Rover Defender should cost you about £56,000.
Winston Churchill loved the Land Rover, and was given one by the makers for his 80th birthday.
A 2010 one? Maybe around £30,000.
So there’s a premium on Royal ownership and extras.
The most valuable ever Defender was sold for £400,000 at a charity auction in 2015. It was the 2 millionth model to come off the production line.
A 2010 model owned by Charles father the Duke of Edinburgh made £123,750 at auction in 2023, so perhaps this estimate will prove on the low side.
A Churchill-owned model proved more valuable than expected in 2012 when it doubled its estimate to realise £129,000. The 1954 model had been extensively modified for the former PM before it was given to him as an 80th birthday present.
The Land Rover Defender was launched in 1948. The vehicle has been closely associated with the British military and royal family pretty much since its birth, receiving a Royal Warrant in 1951.
This Defender will be auctioned by Iconic at the NEC on March 25.
