Perhaps one of the most famous Series IIa Land Rovers, this was used as the personal transport for Queen Elizabeth II and was one of the first to feature a six-cylinder engine.

Ideal both for rural transport and Royal pursuits, this vehicle was fitted with upgrades such as leather seats, wooden dog guard and side steps. Later it received a face lift with revised front wings and grille. It was replaced by the One Ten V8 station wagon in 1983 which is also in the Museum’s collection.

This particular Land Rover famously featured in candid press photographs of the Royal Family watching the Windsor Horse Trials in 1972 (with Prince Edward on the roof!). In 2021 Prince William and Princess Catherine took it to a drive-in movie night at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and more recently was driven in Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee parade in London.

The Land Rover has been a favourite of the Royal Family since the launch of the faithful off-roader in 1948, with the first official commission in 1954 of a Series I 86” with a canvas roof. Vehicles for personal as well as ceremonial use were often kept for decades and were only replaced when absolutely necessary.