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Defender of the Realm: The King’s Land Rover Heads to Auction
A 2010 Land Rover Defender that was first delivered to King Charles III will go under the gavel at Iconic Auctioneers‘ Classic Sale in the U.K. on March 22.
When the Royal Rover was new, Charles was but a Prince (of Wales) and he, and the Duchess of Cornwall, used it at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.
The Defender 90 (referring to its shorter 90-inch wheelbase) was supplied by JLR Special Vehicles with Keswick Green paintwork and a contrasting white roof. Silver five-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels completed the classically classy exterior appeal. Inside there’s a Charcoal Grey cloth interior and some added creature comforts including seat warmers to toast those regal rears, plus heated front and rear screens.
Although the listing doesn’t state the 4×4’s powertrain, most Defenders of this era came with a four-cylinder turbodiesel making 122 hp and driving via a six-speed manual transmission. Charles is quite the environmentalist and has recently converted his fleet to run on biofuels made from wine and cheese waste products, but whether this Defender was also an eco-warrior in its day isn’t known.
Proof of purchase comes from a letter addressed to Charles’ head chauffeur Tim Williams, but with very little wear to the seats the seller believes that Charles himself was the main driver of the hardtop workhorse and, prior to going to auction, it joined several other royal cars in his collection. The regal 72 HRH numberplate shown in the pictures isn’t included in the sale.
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With 24,595 miles on the odometer and a full service book, including a first stamp from the local Highgrove Land Rover dealer, this Defender of the Realm has clearly been royally well cared for.
With an estimate of around $53,000-$63,000 the Land Rover will fetch a premium for its provenance but it’s not such a high price to pay for its Highgrove heritage.
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Surprisingly not expected to be that crazy in price.
What a blind spot.