Sometimes, luck really is on your side.
One car enthusiast who bought a tired, 20-year-old Range Rover on eBay last year has learned that his bargain project once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II – and it’s now worth up to £60,000.
The 2007 Range Rover SE 3.6 TDV8 diesel had seen better days. It showed 126,000 miles, had sun-damaged paint, and was even marked as a previous insurance write-off. The buyer paid only a few thousand pounds, intending to restore it as a tow car.
But while reviewing the paperwork before the restoration, he spotted stamps from Land Rover’s Special Vehicles department - the division responsible for Royal and government cars. After digging deeper into the registration and chassis number, he discovered the vehicle had originally been delivered to Her Majesty for her personal use.
Iconic Auctioneers, who will now sell the 4x4, estimate it could fetch between £50,000 and £60,000 when it goes under the hammer at the NEC Classic Motor Show on 8 November.
According to the auction house, the Tonga Green Metallic Vogue SE was uniquely commissioned for the late Queen, making it the only diesel L322-generation Range Rover supplied to her in that colour. It also featured several bespoke details typical of Royal use, including rear grab handles for easier access and a dog guard for her beloved corgis.
Although those features have since been removed, the original mounting points remain, along with evidence that the car’s early maintenance was handled directly by Land Rover Vehicle Operations in Gaydon – another strong indicator of its Royal heritage.
Photos from the Royal Windsor Horse Show and Sandringham show the Queen behind the wheel of the exact same vehicle, with distinctive interior details confirming its identity. One image even shows Prince Philip’s hat resting inside.
After leaving Royal service, the Range Rover passed into private ownership and was later written off as a Category D vehicle, reportedly due to a minor electrical fault rather than accident damage. It spent several years in Spain, where the paintwork deteriorated before reappearing for sale on eBay in 2024.
The buyer, inspired by Jeremy Clarkson’s farm-era Range Rover, bought it as a restoration project. For weeks, it sat untouched - until he noticed the Special Vehicles stamps in the service book and realised what he had stumbled upon.
He quickly began a sympathetic restoration, refreshing the paintwork and interior while sourcing original parts, including the factory telephone, rear entertainment system, and even a period-correct bonnet dog mascot.
Rob Hubbard, managing director of Iconic Auctioneers, said:
“It’s a privilege to offer a vehicle so closely associated with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The L322 Range Rover is already a British motoring icon, and this example offers collectors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Originally bought as a “tow car project,” the once-forgotten eBay find is now set to make history of its own - as one of the most remarkable Royal car rediscoveries in recent years.
