Jeffrey AronsonJaguar Land Rover created its own “British Invasion” at the 73rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August when they curated an exhibit of 10 Land Rovers used by Queen Elizabeth II during her 70-year reign. Their appearance on the waterfront fairway drew huge crowds and constituted the first-ever presence of 4×4 vehicles at this storied event.
The Presentation
Land Rover did not treat the Royal Rovers as museum pieces; they showed evidence of care and use, just as Queen Elizabeth II treated them. The Royal Land Rovers sat on the fairway without physical barriers – you could walk up, lean over, touch them and imagine them in action, with the Queen and her family present. Thousands of enthusiasts did just that under ideal weather conditions.
JLR UK’s Land Rover Classic described the lineup as below:
1954 Land Rover Series I 86″ Soft Top (NXN 1)
This Land Rover (NXN 1) had been ordered by King George VI before his death, and then later used by HM Queen Elizabeth II and other senior members of the Royal Family at Balmoral, their estate in Scotland. Land Rover apprentices restored the vehicle in 2010, and it now resides in the Land Rover Classic collection.
1954 Land Rover Series I 86” Royal Ceremonial
The first State Review Land Rover, which featured a custom-designed rear platform, served HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, during Her Majesty’s six-month 1954 Coronation Tour. It arrived in Perth, Australia, for the western leg of the tour. The Royal couple spent 58 days of the tour in Australia, visiting 57 towns and cities. This vehicle is now part of a personal collection.
1958 Land Rover Royal Series II 88″ Royal Ceremonial
Built on a 1958 chassis, this vehicle, known as “State II,” served as a ceremonial review vehicle, and was painted claret with a dark blue leather interior. The blue lenses for the side lamps indicated that the vehicle belonged to the Royal fleet – the lamps were to be switched on when a member of the Royal family was aboard. The plated bumper and hub caps are also unique. The grille is unusual and may be a later update. State II was the reserve ceremonial vehicle, housed in the transport department of the Land Rover factory at Solihull. The present
mileage is little more than 13,000 miles from new.
1966 Land Rover Series Ila 109″ 6-Cylinder Prototype Station Wagon (JYV 1D)
HM Queen Elizabeth II drove this Land Rover 109″ station wagon extensively with her family on outings around Sandringham estate. It featured a six-cylinder engine and a host of distinctive features, such as leather seats, a wooden dog guard and side steps. As such, it was ideal for both rural transport and Royal pursuits. Later it received a facelift to the front wings and grille. The car performed many years of loyal service before being replaced by the new 110 V8 station wagon in 1983.
1974 Range Rover Royal Ceremonial State I
In 1971, the original State Review Land Rover was to be replaced by the new Range Rover. For two years, memos, sketches, and detailed drawings were sent between Land Rover and the Royal household. State I started out as a regular Range Rover, fitted with a special body. The bulkhead was relocated forward and an extra exhaust silencer was fitted and moved away from the rear door, so the Royal occupants would not be affected by fumes. Inside were foldaway seats as well as half seats that could be used as supports when the Royal party was standing. Two umbrellas sat concealed in holders, ready for the British weather. Many other special parts were made by outside suppliers, including the leather upholstery and some body panels, which were fabricated from steel, rather than aluminum. It exited service until 2002 and is now part of the Royal Collection at the British Motor Museum.
1983 Land Rover 110″ Station Wagon (A444 RYV)
This Land Rover 110″ station wagon was the private car of Queen Elizabeth II. Used on Crown estates Sandringham and Balmoral, it was ideal for rural transport and Royal pursuits. The Land Rover has custom kit, such as leather seats and a special radio system. The dark green exterior paint was Queen Elizabeth II’s choice. With grab handles and footsteps, it’s well set up for shooting and fishing trips. It remains part of the active Royal fleet.
1998 Range Rover P38A Royal Ceremonial State I
This is the fourth State I Royal Review vehicle provided by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, replacing the previous State I Range Rover from 1990. It features the Royal claret paint scheme with a distinctive red pinstripe running along the side of the car, but this car also boasts hand-painted crests on the doors and tailgate. Each crest features the Royal crown topped by a lion, part of the Royal Coat of Arms, with the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense (“Shame on him who thinks evil”), symbolizing the Order of the Garter, an ancient order of knighthood. The customized rear platform also has four foldaway seats, rather than the usual two, as in other state vehicles.
1990 Range Rover Royal Ceremonial State I
This Range Rover is the third State I Royal Review vehicle, replacing the previous State I from 1974. You saw it if you received a Christmas card in 1994 from HM Queen Elizabeth II. The image shows Her Majesty and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attending the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings in Arromanches-les-Bains in Northern France. Like all State vehicles, it wears the Royal claret paint color and includes a specially adapted rear platform. It now resides in the British Motor Museum.
2005 Range Rover L322 Royal Ceremonial State I
This is the fifth State I Royal Review vehicle provided by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, replacing the fourth State I Range Rover. Like its predecessor, this car features Royal claret paint, and also boasts hand-painted crests symbolizing the Order of the Garter on the doors and tailgates. The specially adapted rear platform has the same black leather upholstery as inside the driver’s cabin. The tailgate folds down to reveal a set of stairs, so the Royal party can easily access the platform. This vehicle was famously used to transport the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge—William and Catherine—and Prince Harry during Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday parade in 2016.
2009 Range Rover L322 Vogue (CK58 NPJ)
This Range Rover, an L322 Vogue with license CK58 NPJ is probably the vehicle most photographed with HM Queen Elizabeth II. This Range Rover appeared to be her favorite vehicle during the later years of her reign. In the center of its bonnet, it carried a beloved Labrador mascot (removed for safekeeping). This Range Rover remains in the care of the Royal Household as part of the active Royal Fleet.
Behind the Scenes – JLR NA
In September 2023, the Goodwood Revival collaborated with Land Rover and the Royal Family to create a public display of 11 Royal Land Rovers, each a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Rovers included not only official ceremonial models, but Queen Elizabeth’s Defenders and Range Rovers used by her on the family estates.
Joe Eberhardt, the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, told me he admired the collection so much that he spent the next six weeks with his team determining the feasibility of a similar commemoration in the US. They worked with the Pebble Beach organization to make these historic Land Rovers available to the Land Rover enthusiast community and the general public.
Behind the Scenes – JLR UK
Two entities within Jaguar Land Rover UK made this presentation possible: JLR’s Royal and Diplomatic Affairs and Land Rover Classic.
Terry Kilkenny has been the head of the Royal and Diplomatic Affairs team for three years; he’s served Land Rover for 23 years, from finance director in Dubai, to retailer development and the Land Rover Experience Centers, to a global role at worldwide auto shows.
He noted, “The US never had the opportunity for a respectful remembrance of Queen Elizabeth,” and shared that “the Royal Family gave its approval for the presentation and display of the Royal Rovers within a few weeks of the formal request.”
It fell to Land Rover Classic in Coventry to oversee the preparation of the vehicles. At a Pebble Beach Forum session, Paul Barritt (Director, LR Classic) and Nick Wilson (LR Classic PR) introduced Mike Bishop (Product Specialist) who performed archival duties as to the provenance of the Royal Land Rovers and oversaw their refurbishment or restoration. As Mike explained during a one-hour demonstration, he made deep dives into archives of the British Motor Heritage Trust as well as Australian sources to confirm the recollections and memories of JLR and Royal Family staff.
Throughout the week, Mike shared many stories of his considerable efforts to bring the history of these Land Rovers to enthusiasts everywhere; his tales of his Australian years made the international impact of Land Rover resonate even louder.
Behind the Scenes – Ohio & Oregon
Tyler Lucks, Columbus, OH, is the “private collector” who owns the 1954 86” Ceremonial Land Rover. The self-professed “Rover Nut” remembers his father’s Range Rover Classic “that changed me” into a Land Rover enthusiast. He followed it with a ’94 Discovery I that he drove to Land Rover Center “Wheels Events,” the 1998 ANARC 50th Anniversary Celebration at Greek Peak, NY and the 2000 RoverFest in Killington, VT. Tyler and his wife Cassie enjoy a large collection of Land Rovers, including Camel Trophy and military vehicles.
“I bought the ’54 Series I Ceremonial at an auction,” Tyler explained. “It had been in Australia, and came to the UK in 2013. When Mike Bishop asked for it to be included at Pebble Beach, my team had six weeks to refurbish it. It had lost its pinstripes and needed new upholstery. We shipped the interior cushions to Compton’s in Birmingham, which had the original patterns and could reproduce them.
“Steve Kirschbaum, Columbus, OH, was my main guy on the build,” noted Tyler. “Nathan Stewart, Delaware, OH, installed the interior pieces and recreated the unique stitching on the grab handles. Peter Brown, Plain City, OH, worked closely with Mike Bishop on color matching the original paint – still present on a rear tub in Australia – to come up with the correct paint for this Land Rover.”
“The efforts and talents of Ike Goss (Pangolin 4×4, Springfield, OR), Mike Bishop and Alex Massey (CKD Shop, UK and Australia) were instrumental in the completion of this build,” Tyler said. “This would not have happened in time without their critical expertise and assistance
across continents.”
Pebble Beach Moments
The organizers invited Concours entrants to participate in a 60-mile tour of the Monterey Peninsula. Ike Goss and Jenna Fribley elected to drive one of the Ceremonial Land Rovers. During the drive, it sputtered to a stop. A quick check of the gas tank confirmed it had not run dry, but no fuel reached the carburetor. Ike discovered the too-short draw tube, fashioned a replacement on the roadside, and continued with the drive. I feel the Queen would have approved.
Growing up, my British-born mother decorated our house with souvenir plates from Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation and filled our library with books on the Royal Family. On the day of the Concours, the organizers invited Land Rover to drive four of their display vehicles onto the trophy stand in front of the 3,000+ attendees. Mike Bishop graciously allowed me to join him in that same Ceremonial Land Rover. I sensed my mother would have approved.