From Sovereigns and Regals to Princesses and Crowns - these Royal-sounding vehicles really are fit for a king.
The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May, 2023.
Even if you’re not a fan of the monarchy, it’s still something to look forward to as the UK will enjoy a Bank Holiday on the following Monday, May 8th. .
And the occasion is also a good excuse to take a look at some of the most noble-sounding cars throughout history. And yes, that includes British sports car maker Noble!
King Charles has long been a bit of a petrolhead, and his love of Aston Martins and Audis is well-documented.
And while the former Prince has never actually owned any of the cars listed below - as far as we know, anyway - their official titles mean they’re worthy of a place in any monarch’s garage.
Jaguar Sovereign
The Sovereign was a derivative of the Jaguar XJ, which was sold for a decade between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. The Sovereign models were a cut above the base XJs, featuring swanky air conditioning, headlamp washers, a six speaker sound system and clever self-levelling suspension. Owners also enjoyed burl walnut trim in the cabin. Fancy.
The Sovereign was available with a V8 or V12 petrol engine, the latter of which offered power of 309 PS.
Price now: £8,000.
Austin-Morris Princess (1800)
The ‘Princess’ name was attached to several different cars produced by Austin and British Leyland down the years.
The first was the opulent Austin Princess that ran from 1947 to 1968, and was a luxury limo exclusively for the well-heeled.
The more famous, and more mass-market version, was the Austin Morris Princess of the later 70s and early 80s. It was available with a 1.8 litre or 2.0 litre petrol engine and had a distinctive wedge-shaped exterior.
Price now: £3,500.
Ford Crown Victoria
If you’ve seen any TV cop show from the early 1990s onwards, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen the boys in blue screeching sideways in a Ford Crown Vic.
It was a robust, reliable saloon produced by Ford for the North American market and which sold like hot-cakes to fleet customers - particularly police departments and taxi operators. Most models were packing a 4.6 litre V8 chucking-out 227 PS. It’s just a shame they never made it to the UK.
Price now: £8,000
Vauxhall Senator
The Senator was Vauxhall’s bigger, more powerful, prestigious sibling to the regular Carlton. Around 30,000 models were produced between the late 80s and early 90s.
And there’s plenty to love about the Senator - not least the option of a 3.0 litre engine with power of 204 PS.
Like the Ford Crown Victoria (above), the Senator was well-loved by UK police forces due to the fact they were pretty much indestructible and racked-up high mileages.
Price now: £4,000
Toyota Crown
The Crown is one of THE longest-running models in motoring history, having first been introduced by Toyota way back in 1955. In fact, there’s a brand new Crown on the way - a luxurious hybrid saloon that offers power of up to 344 PS.
The UK, however, won’t get the new Crown - and the old Crown was only ever sold in Blighty for a brief period between 1982 and 1984, when it ultimately made way for the Toyota Camry.
The so-called ‘Super Saloon’ Crown was a motorway mile-muncher with a 2.8 litre petrol engine and a state-of-the-art… auto-reverse stereo radio cassette system.
Price now: £10,000
Reliant Regal
This iconic three-wheeler will need little introduction if you’re a fan of a certain Peckham-based TV show.
Yep, the Reliant Regal (not the Robin, as many fans think) was the motor of choice for the Trotter clan from Only Fools and Horses.
Del Boy and Rodney tore about in a Reliant Regal Supervan III, to be more precise.
The last Regal was made in the early 70s, when it made do with a 700cc engine with power of around 30 PS.
Price now: £10,000
Noble M600
Noble is a British manufacturer that creates hand-built supercars to discerning petrolheads. And because Nobles are built in such small numbers, they certainly warrant a spot in a King’s courtyard.
One of the most recent models is the 659 PS Noble M600, which uses a twin-turbocharged V8 engine to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds, and then on to a top speed of 225 mph.
That blistering pace means King Charles could complete his planned 1.3 mile procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in just 21 seconds, should he wish to put his foot down!
Price: £200,000
Volkswagen Golf
The VW Golf is potentially an odd inclusion in this list.
But the hatchback - as well as VW’s like the Taigo SUV and the all-electric ID.3 and ID.4 - can be leased with the option of a positively regal-sounding ‘Kings Red’ paint scheme.
You can lease a Volkswagen Golf from just £239 per month with Select Car Leasing, or a VW ID.3 lease begins at £328 per month.
Which is the opposite of a King’s ransom!
*Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 11/04/23.
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