The Queen’s favourite cars and how she earned ‘Princess Auto Mechanic’ nickname
The Queen liked to be in the driving seat throughout her reign – and could even fix cars. During the Second World War, the then Princess Elizabeth joined the Army aged 18 and learned how to drive and maintain ambulances and trucks. Newspapers dubbed her ‘Princess Auto Mechanic’ and she even gave her father, King George VI, a tutorial in engine maintenance at The Mechanical Transport Training Section in Camberley, Surrey, in 1945.
The Queen’s passion for motoring never died and she was often pictured happily behind the wheel into her 90s. And she was reportedly the only person in the country not legally obliged to have a driving licence.
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The Queen in her Range Rover, with a dog mascot on the bonnet (Getty Images)
Her Majesty’s cars came in all shapes and sizes but they all had one thing in common – they were built in Britain. A countrywoman at heart, the Queen owned around 30 Land Rovers and Range Rovers, whisking the family off for picnics and shooting parties on her country estates for decades.
The Queen driving to horse trials in her Vauxhall Cresta estate car (Getty Images)
Her favourite was said to be the 2002 Defender 110, featuring a TD5 diesel engine with raised suspension and heated seats.
Her beloved husband, Prince Philip, famously had a Land Rover modified to create the hearse for his funeral in April last year.
The Queen travelled in Rolls-Royces like this one for official occasions (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
For more ceremonious occasions, the Queen relied on iconic luxury cars such as the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI she acquired at her 1977 Silver Jubilee, complete with Royal Standard, and two official Bentley limousines. But our down-to-earth monarch was not always one for pomp and show, and was often seen driving vintage family classics like a Vauxhall Cresta estate or the Rover P5B saloon. You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here
This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.