Royal Cars: The $12 million collection King Charles has tucked away

Much has been written over the years about the British Royal Family’s corgis, art, estates, and Charles’ environmental streak – but less is known of the cars they keep.

With classics now seen by many as investments, there’s been some enhanced scrutiny behind Charles’s collection which is scattered across various residences. Split between personal and state, The Guardian [↗] estimates that King Charles’s private fleet is worth in the vicinity of AU$12 million.

The various vehicles are either ‘state’ or private vehicles, though as The Guardian found, the line between these definitions is blurry at best, with state cars being used for all manner of trips, and occasionally becoming private ones without much of a paper trail.

Charlie's collection comprises marques to make any Brit proud, from sporty Aston Martins and Jaguars to coachbuilt Rolls-Royces and Bentleys – not a Holden Caprice in sight.

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William and Kate used Charles' Aston Martin after their wedding

The Royal Mews collection

On an archival mission, Guardian journalists visited the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace to check on the collection.

We’ve cross-referenced the findings with Wheels magazine editor Andy Enright’s own extensive knowledge.

In 2017, the Royals kept three Rollers, three Daimlers, and a pair of Bentleys at Buck House, with Volkswagen support vehicles for good measure. The Daimlers appear to have disappeared for now, leaving the collection at five ‘star cars’, and a fleet of support vehicles.

The most well-known are the pair of 6.22-metre long, armoured, coachbuilt Bentley Mulliner limousines. Based on an Arnage, they’re stretched for vast amounts of legroom, with a roof raised to give Queen Liz – and now King Charles – plenty of headroom.

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The back seats are trimmed in Hield Lambswool Sateen cloth, and the remaining appointments are of light grey Connolly leather. Bentley’s ‘Flying Bs’ bonnet ornament was dropped in favour of a solid silver rendition of St George slaying the dragon.

Provided by Bentley gratis in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s golden jubilee, The Guardian estimates the pair is worth around A$2.5 million combined, but other much higher guesses have pitched the six-and-three-quarter limos at A$18 million apiece.

A trio of Rolls Royces include a 1950 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV painted in Royal Claret at Liz’s request (A$4.7 million), a 1962 Rolls-Royce Phantom V (Charles’s car), and a 1977 Phantom VI that’s worth an estimated A$2.4 million.

The Sandringham Estate

A total of 12 cars were identified at the Royal family’s Sandringham estate, with a more eclectic selection, from a 1900 Daimler Mail Phaeton to a 1999 London Taxi.

Charles keeps his 21st birthday present from mummy – the famously biofuel-powered 1970 Seychelles Blue Aston Martin DB6 Volante – down at Sandringham, along with another (this time private) Rolls-Royce Phantom IV that Elizabeth bought with Prince Philip early in their marriage.

The Royals love their Phantoms, and it seems the Guardian uncovered another one at Sandringham. This example served a 41-year stint as an official state car, before being supplanted by the two Bentley Limousines in 2002 – it’s unclear whether the Royals caught this car to use as a private vehicle; it’s worth an estimated A$1.3 million.

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Gone but not forgotten

Along with the existing collection, some of the Royal’s cars (not least Charles’s freebie Astons) have interesting stories of their own.

In 1987, Charles was gifted an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante by the Emir of Bahrain. The tale goes that Chaz had a custom leather-trimmed sugar-lump holder fabricated to fit in the car’s glovebox for his polo ponies.

Though it was a gift, Charles sold it at the Sotheby’s auction house in 1995 for A$200,000 pounds – since that deal, a Royal family act has been updated to read: “Under no circumstances should official gifts be sold or exchanged.”

Another few royal cars made famous by the queen include a Jaguar Daimler V8 Super LWB. It was to be Queen Elizabeth’s personal transport, though not long after it was delivered in 2001, the Elizabeth decided she rather liked the Jag’s snarling 4.0-litre supercharged V8 and piloted it herself. There was a boot-mounted radio, high-intensity lights, and secret buttons added.

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