Nice little runabout - fit for a queen

Reuters

TRAVEL IN STYLE: A car formerly owned by the Queen is up for sale.

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At first sight it seems just another second-hand luxury car for sale but this Jaguar included some special extras in its day, such as emergency convoy lights and a direct radio link to the Prime Minister.

That's because the green Daimler V8 was formerly owned and driven by Queen Elizabeth II between 2001 and 2004.

Delivered to the royal family with 2000 test miles (3218km), the queen added 12,000 more miles (19,312km) to the clock travelling to and from Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

It was specifically built for the monarch and designed to satisfy all her needs.

It has a special armrest to accommodate the queen's handbag and the original registration used by her is still in the vehicle, the Independent reported.

The car, which has a list price of 65,000 pounds (NZ$138,000), was in secure storage at the Jaguar factory until Peter Radcliffe, a specialist memorabilia dealer, bought it.

He is now offering it for sale on the website http://www.hmthequeensdaimler.com/.

"It is in truly immaculate as new condition and has all original paperwork, service book, spare keys and photographs of the queen driving the car," Radcliffe said on the website.

KIWI LIMO

Last November a government limo that carried the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on a visit to New Zealand, was sold at auction for a price well above its reserve.

The black Daimler sedan went under the hammer in Auckland and fetched $69,000.

Internal Affairs procurement manager Craig Doherty said the limousine was purchased in 2001 to transport the highest tier of official visitors to New Zealand.

Apart from the Queen and Prince Philip, other passengers included members of the Belgian and Dutch royal family, and heads of state from the Philippines, Finland, Ireland and Indonesia.

The vehicle became surplus to requirements with the advent of a more fuel-efficient fleet of BMWs.

- Reuters