February 6, 2022, marks Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee – celebrating 70 years as head of the UK and Commonwealth. She’s also the first monarch to reach the milestone. Such a run is only possible with the very best of security, especially when out and about.
That’s an accolade she isn’t alone in holding, however. Royals around the world have long been parading about in some of the most valuable motors on Earth. But how do they compare? We rank 30 heads of state around the globe, from Vatican City to the tip of the African continent.
The Queen’s custom-built Bentleys are second-most expensive in royal car ranking
Despite Her Majesty’s Bentley State Limousines – built exclusively for her – each having a £10m price tag, she misses out on the top spot. It’s Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei, with the costliest car.
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Rolls-Royces of any age or condition are generally sought after, but the Sultan’s Silver Spur II takes that to a new level. Customised especially for his wedding day, it’s plated in 24-carat gold and has an estimated value of £10.4m.
In fact, he could sell his Silver Spur, buy each of the vehicles outside the top three in our research and still have over £1.5m spare.
One in three royals move about in a Merc
Ten of the 30 royals in our research opt for a Mercedes-Benz, with five going for the S-Class specifically. At ‘only’ £75k, however, the high-end saloon is barely valuable enough to break into the top 20.
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The higher positions are reserved for the likes of 770k and the S600 Pullman, which is co-built with Mercedes’ ultra-luxury division, Maybach. With a 12-cylinder engine pulling along features such as in-car TV, fully reclining chairs and armoured bodywork, King Mswati III is certainly well catered for. And it’s far from his only mode of transport – the ruler of Eswatini once spent over £18m on 120 BMWs.
Prince Albert II of Monaco also has a vast car collection. From genuine F1 cars to one-offs built for special occasions, there’s plenty to justify the £7 exhibition entry fee. But it’s one particular model we’re looking at here – a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione worth nearly £2m. It’s one of only 15 examples that dominated Le Mans in the 1970s.
The least valuable motor is exactly 4,000 times cheaper than no.1
With their standard Renault Espace worth only £2,600, the Co-Princes of Andorra are the occupiers of the least valuable royal car – or the most humble. The titles are held by The Bishop of Urgell, Joan Enric Vives Sicilia, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
At that price, Andorra’s elite would need to trade in exactly 4,000 Espaces to raise the funds required for first place. However, they aren’t the only royals in possession of a more ‘modest’ motor, as over three quarters in our research don’t break the £1m barrier.
See below for a closer look at some of the other standout motors from our top 10, including the Queen’s Bentley State Limousine and the Sultan of Brunei’s gold-clad Rolls-Royce.
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