Royal Family’s 1953 Land Rover to go under the hammer

A 1953 Land Rover supplied to the Royal Family will be up for auction next year.

According to Silverstone Auctions, the bidding will take place at Stoneleigh Park on February 25, 2023.

The Royal 4X4 was built in late 1953 and registered on the Royal number sequence NXN 1 in early 1954. This exceptional Land Rover has a production chassis number but is considered a pre-production build.

Unique features include doors, body, roof, bumpers, and twin rear doors to name but a few.

The NXN 1 1953 Land Rover was exclusively used by Their Majesties Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother with Her Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Duke of Rothesay (Prince Charles) until 1966 when it was purchased and re-registered LXC 894D in Ballater.

“It’s not often that a vehicle with such impressive Royal provenance like this is offered publicly for sale. Its special features and Royal connections make it exceptionally interesting. This Land Rover would doubtless have been used extensively on the Balmoral estate where we know the Royals loved to picnic. It would have been a familiar and much-loved part of Her Majesty and Prince Philip’s private lives,” said Silverstone Auctions Sales Director Rob Hubbard.

The NXN 1 1953 Land Rover was purchased from the Royal estate in 1966 and was stored in the purchaser’s family garage for a number of years. It has been rumored that King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) has funded and encouraged the restoration of this unique vehicle.

Pictured with the Land Rover upon its competition, His Royal Highness appeared delighted with the result.

This illustrious Land Rover was featured on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, and also led the Land Rover parade at the Queen's Jubilee Pageant last year. With a TV audience measured in billions, it is probably one of the most photographed Land Rovers in the World.

The last Royal car sold by Silverstone Auctions was Princess Diana’s black Ford Escort RS Turbo which made a world record price of £730,000 (P50.457 million).

Photos from Silverstone Auctions

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