King Charles III’s Old Land Rover Defender Is Heading to Auction
Here’s your chance to add something regal to your vehicle collection.
Next month, Iconic Auctioneers will take bids for a 2010 Land Rover Defender 90 that once belonged to King Charles. The 4×4 wasn’t just part of the Royal Collection, though. It appears to have actually been driven by the monarch as well.
The boxy SUV was delivered new to the Royal Garage at Highgrove House on November 11, 2010, and includes a confirmation letter addressed to head chauffeur Tim Williams as proof. Built, at least initially, for the sole use of the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the 4×4 has the look of a classic sporting vehicle. It’s finished in Keswick Green, has black protective cladding along the bottom, and rides on 16-inch five-spoke wheels.
King Charles III’s 2010 Land Rover Defender 90
Iconic Auctioneers
This iteration of the Defender was a rather utilitarian vehicle, but Charles’s example does have a couple of creature comforts thrown in. The Charcoal Gray-clad cabin includes a heated front, heated seats, and rear screens. Not exactly the peak of luxury, but three features that will make the vehicle more comfortable to drive on a winter morning. The auction house notes that the Defender’s seats do show “minor wear,” which suggests it was not a chauffeur-driven vehicle, and was instead driven by Charles himself.
Other than those changes, this is pretty by-the-book Defender 90. The auction listing is short on details, but most examples of the SUV came with a four-cylinder turbodiesel that makes 122 hp and 266 ft lbs of torque. The mill is mated to a six-speed manual and has a four-wheel-drive system. That last feature, along with a locking center differential, means the vehicle can be taken off-road with confidence. The 4×4 has covered just 24,595 miles over the past 15 years and has been “dutifully” cared for by a “fastidious” owner since leaving the Royal Collection, so it should also be in tip-top shape.
Inside King Charles III’s Defender 90
Iconic Auctioneers
Charles’s Land Rover Defender 90 is scheduled to cross the block during Iconic Auctioneer’s upcoming Classic Car sale, which will be held in Birmingham, England, from March 21 to 23. The auction house expects the 4×4 to sell for between £42,000 and £50,000, or roughly $53,000 to $63,000, which just might be a bargain considering what has happened to its former owner in the years since.
Click here for more photos of King Charles’s 2010 Land Rover Defender 90.
