Royals and their choice of wheels

Owner: Queen of United Kingdom

The Queen of UK’s State and private motor cars are housed in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. For official duties there are eight State limousines, consisting of two Bentleys, three Rolls-Royces and three Daimlers. Other vehicles in the Royal fleet include a number of Volkswagen 'people carriers'. State cars are painted in Royal claret livery. The Bentleys and Rolls-Royces uniquely do not have registration number plates, since they are State vehicles. The custom-made Bentley limousine is reportedly the Queen’s preferred choice for all her state travels. Exclusive features of this car include the transparent passenger rooftop, special monocoque chassis construction, special internal cabin height allowing the queen to stand upright while exiting the vehicle, and also the hind doors which open at an angle of 90 degrees, which makes it easier for Her Majesty to face the crowds directly without hindrance. There are other cars in addition to the Bentleys. A Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was presented to The Queen in 1978 for her Silver Jubilee by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The oldest car in the fleet is the Phantom IV, built in 1950 which was used by Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh.

2. Rolls-Royce Phantom II - Star of India

Picture Courtesy: VCCCI

Owner: Mandhatasinh Jadeja

This saffron coloured Rolls-Royce Phantom II, christened the ‘Star of India’ is owned by the royal family of Rajkot. This Phantom II was originally built for the Mahraja of Rajkot in 1934. This classic Rolls-Royce has the then Maharaja of Rajkot’s emblem in combination with a saffron exterior which symbolised the Royal head’s duties towards his state. This car was sold to a British collector by the Maharaja in 1968, but has been bought back to India by Mandhatasinh Jadeja, who is none other than a former prince of Rajkot and an actual grandson of the Maharajah.

3. Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG

Owner: Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Sultan Bin Rashed al Nahyan

Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is an Emirati politician and member of the Al Nahyan, ruling family of the Abu Dhabi emirate. A custom-made Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG was built to lead the convoy of the Prince of Abu Dhabi. Aesthetically, the SUV boasts of a three-slat chrome grille, four Xenon headlamps, eight fog lamps and rides on 22-inch massive ally wheels. The G55 AMG comes equipped with a 5.5-litre V8 engine capable of delivering a total of 620PS of power comprising of eight piston calipers upfront and four calipers at the back. Reports suggest that carbon fibre is used extensively to keep the weight of the car to a minimum.

4. Aston Martin DB6 MKII Volante

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Owner: Prince Charles

This midnight blue Aston Martin hogged the limelight after Prince William borrowed this car from his father, who has been the owner of this car, to drive around his bride Katie Middleton around London city. The car was decorated in traditional wedding fashion complete with ribbons, balloons, and a trick license plate reading Ju5t Wed. The dark blue Volante convertible was driven by the Prince through the crowds in front of Buckingham Palace on his way to a reception party. Reports suggest, this legendary car was the longest running production model that Aston Martin ever produced, but only 140 Volante versions were built. Furthermore, Aston Martin has fittted this car's engine with a kit that allows it to run on alcohol fuel, which is created using grapes grown on a vineyard owned by the Royal Family. The mileage of the car is known to be a little over 8km to a gallon of fuel.

5. Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet

Owner: Prince Albert II of Monaco

With assets valued at more than $1 billion dollars which is approximately Rs 6,395 crore, Prince Albert II of Monaco is one of the wealthiest royals in the world. The Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet was built specially for the Prince’s wedding which took place in the July 2011. This one-off version sported a transparent roof-top and was personalised by Carat Duchatelet, which is known for its luxury coaches. The paint which is midnight blue, is a special variety of water paint that has been applied manually by a group of craftsmen from the car company.