02 March 2023
Prince Philip had a solid connection with Land Rover, his last ‘regular’ Landie was a Freelander and his very last, a Land Rover Defender TD5 130 picked by the Duke that would bear his coffin.
The hearse project started 18 years before his death, based on a 2003 TD5 130 chassis cab.
The Duke of Edinburgh oversaw modifications, including designing the open-top rear and unique stops to secure his coffin in place and asking to have it repainted in military green.
‘Just stick me in the back of a Land Rover and drive me to Windsor’, ‘Prince Philip reportedly quipped about his funeral arrangements.
Recently his 2010 Defender 110 County, built to his specification, was auctioned by Silverstone Auctions at its Race Retro sale at Stoneleigh Park.
Described as ‘gleaming’, with a guide price of £50,000-70,000K but was eventually sold for more than £120,000.
The Landie had only covered 15,600 miles and finished in a rare colour, Keswick Green.
As part of its provenance, letters between George Hassall, Jaguar Land Rover’s royal diplomatic agent and David Key, the Duke’s head chauffeur, were also included.
The Defender 110 County had been sold previously by Collecting Cars online auction for £44,000 in June 2022.
