The Queen's personal Daimler goes up for sale

FOR SALE: Top-of-the range Daimler, only 14,000 miles on the clock - most of them around one's Windsor Great Park and London house. One very careful previous lady owner. Immaculate condition, apart from a few corgi hairs on the rear carpet.

As second-hand motors go, it is the most regal set of wheels on the market. A Jaguar used by the Queen as her personal car for driving herself around Windsor estate, and shuttling back and forth to Buckingham Palace, has been put up for sale.

The monarch's daily runabout, which is painted in a patriotic shade of British racing green and was used by her between 2001 and 2004, was modified by Jaguar to suit a set of royal needs.

After all, not many Daimler Majestic V8s have a driver's arm rest adjusted to fit the Queen's Launer handbag.

The car's extras include a console of switches to control flashing strobe lamps and blue emergency convoy lights, and a secure telephone link to Downing St and the Home Office, presumably for a national emergency rather than to register a complaint about roadworks on the M4.

The motor, which had a list price of £65,000 ($140,000), has been released from Jaguar's royal vehicles after the Queen acquired another car from the company.

Peter Ratcliffe, a specialist memorabilia dealer who bought the car from Jaguar and is now offering it on the open market via a website, hmthequeensdaimler.com, said:

"It's a truly unique vehicle. There is nothing else out there, or ever going to be out there, that you can buy and say this was the personal car of the Queen of England, specially built for her.

"She was very clear about her requirements. She had an extra switch installed on each of the rear doors to control the windows on the opposite side.

"When she was accompanied by a royal protection officer in the passenger seat she was worried that she would have nowhere to put her handbag. Jaguar took the normal armrest and added a sliding tray so she could place her handbag on top and push back the tray to hold it in place.

"It is a beautiful car and she was fond of using it to get around Windsor or into London. She likes driving."

Royal sources confirmed the Daimler was the Queen's personal car. But were there any doubt, an inspection of the footwell of the rear seats offers further proof.

Dog hairs belonging to a short-haired breed such as a corgi can still be seen.

The monarch is known to be a keen driver following her time as a driver and mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. Such was her prowess she rose to junior commander.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the latest departure from its car pool, which still includes eight state limousines (two Bentleys, three Rolls-Royces and three Daimlers), several Volkswagen people carriers and a London taxi.

And what price for the ownership of a royal gas guzzler? Ratcliffe will not be drawn, other than to say he recently sold the Queen's S-plate Daimler for a substantial sum to a Japanese collector.

Purchase does not include a hotline to No 10.

- INDEPENDENT