Queen Elizabeth’s 2004 Range Rover heads for auction

A 2004 Land Rover Range Rover once owned by Queen Elizabeth II is up for auction within the U.K. via Iconic Auctioneers.

The British royal vehicle fleet has seen some extravagant one-off vehicles, including an open-top Range Rover parade automotive, though this appears to be a mostly stock example of a third-generation Range Rover.

Royal-specific equipment includes extra lights within the grille, a dog barrier, load space mat, side steps, and dust flaps, in line with the auction listing. The Range Rover also has dual rear-window switches and rear grab handles to ease entry and exit, features commonly seen on the late British monarch’s vehicles, the listing adds.

Paperwork shows that the Range Rover was first registered in 2004, having been supplied by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) but, typically for royal vehicles, more specific ownership details weren’t made public. Nevertheless, auctioneers found video of Queen Elizabeth II driving this Range Rover, which is identifiable by its license plate BN04 EPU. That is the primary evidence for claiming a connection to the late queen.

The proper-hand-drive Range Rover currently shows 109,675 miles on its odometer, but was serviced earlier this yr and is currently registered within the U.K.through Nov. 7, 2024. Exporting it to the U.S. could prove difficult because, while this generation of Range Rover was sold here when recent, this is not a U.S.-spec version. And it’s too recent to qualify for the 25-year exemption on foreign-market vehicles.

Auctioneers expect the royal Range Rover to sell for between 50,000 and 60,000 British kilos, or $61,285 to $73,542 at current exchange rates. A Range Rover of this generation likely would not garner such high bids by itself, but one shouldn’t underestimate the royal connection. A 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 formerly owned by Princess Diana sold for an astounding $846,000 last yr.