Queen Elizabeth II’s 1984 Daimler Double Six LWB up for auction

Filed under: Sedan, Auctions, Jaguar, Specialty, Luxury

Queen Elizabeth II’s 1984 Daimler Double Six Long-Wheelbase Saloon – Click above for high-res image gallery

The list of accolades and honorifics attributed to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II goes on for miles. Not only is she the Queen of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom – the longest-serving monarch in their respective histories, at that – but she’s also the reigning queen of an additional 15 sovereign nations and the head of state for 54 members of the commonwealth. She’s head of the Church of England, titular commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, Lord High Admiral of the Royal Navy and, for some strange reason, Admiral of Nebraska. (Seriously. Look it up.) Her Majesty is also a keen driver, having driven ambulances during the Second World War, known to change tires on her own (how many monarchs can say that?) and is still seen driving herself around on occasion. And for several years, this was her car.

This Daimler Double Six Long-Wheelbase Saloon (the upscale version of the Jaguar XJ12) was built by Jaguar for Her Majesty’s use in 1984. Before its delivery to Buckingham Palace, it underwent over 2,000 miles of testing to iron out any kinks, after which it became the Queen’s personal vehicle, transporting her an enumerable dignitaries – princes, princesses and prime ministers – to various events and in between palaces and estates across the kingdom. Elizabeth II was known to drive it herself much of the time, blissfully immune as she is to any traffic offenses.

The specially built luxury saloon was equipped with a long list of special features, from special communications systems and flashing lights to a rear bench requested by the Queen to accommodate her pet dogs. During its service and ever since, it’s been maintained exclusively by Jaguar and the royally-appointed garage, Guy Salmons in Royal Ascot Berkshire, undergoing regular VIP maintenance to keep it in as-new condition. Following its retirement from active service, it was returned to the Jaguar Heritage Museum Browns Lane where it has remained since.

Jaguar is now putting it up for auction at the hands of RM Auctions during Pebble Beach weekend in Monterey, California. It’s the first time a royal limousine has been offered for sale publicly in the United States, and, as Jaguar says it will never offer another again, very well may be the last. At least, until Bentley sells off any of those bio-fueled limos. Follow the jump for full details in the press release, and check out the images in the gallery below for a closer look.

Gallery: Queen Elizabeth II’s 1984 Daimler Double Six Long-Wheelbase Saloon