Current:Home > FinanceA look at King Charles III's car collection, valued at $15 million -RiskWatch
A look at King Charles III's car collection, valued at $15 million
View
Date:2025-04-17 09:51:55
Members of Britain's royal family have been pictured over the years behind the wheel of some of the world's most iconic cars, and the new monarch, King Charles III, is no exception.
Ahead of the king's coronation ceremony on May 6, U.K. car leasing company Nationwide Vehicle Contracts released a list of the rare and classic vehicles owned by the royals — and their estimated value.
"Luxury cars have long been associated with the monarch and King Charles III, in particular, is known for his fondness of motor vehicles," Nationwide's director Keith Hawes told CBS News on Tuesday. "His impressive collection features sentimental value with motors passed down from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to cars bought for him by his parents."
Nationwide listed 12 vehicles in the royal fleet, with the most valuable being two Bentley State Limousines valued at more than $12 million each. They're the only two limos of their kind in existence, built by Bentley specifically for the 2002 Golden Jubilee of Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
- U.K. poll finds 70% of young Brits "not interested" in royal family
The Bentleys are the official state cars of Great Britain, and both are described by Nationwide as having "fully armored bodywork and glass, blast-resistant tires, and blue flashing lights."
The interior of the vehicles can be sealed air-tight to protect occupants in the event of a gas attack, Nationwide said in its press release, coming with "James Bond-esque engineering as standard."
One of the vehicles set to carry King Charles for his coronation, however, is a far less-modern people carrier. The Gold State Coach may be the world's oldest and most exclusive vehicle.
The coach was commissioned by King George III and built in 1760, according to Buckingham Palace, and has been used at every coronation since 1831. It is scheduled to carry Charles and his wife Queen Camilla in a procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace on coronation day.
The ornate, gilded coach is valued at around $2 million, Nationwide said. According to the palace, it will be drawn by eight Windsor Grey horses on coronation day and, "due to its weight" of almost 4.5 tons, "will travel at walking pace."
The third most expensive car in the king's garage(s) is a 1965 Aston Martin DB6 Volante. The sports car valued by Nationwide at just over $1.2 million was a 21st birthday present from his parents — but the royal did make some distinct modifications.
The king's passion for environmentalism is well known, and in 2008, when he was the Prince of Wales, he had the Aston converted to run on bioethanol, or more specifically leftover wine.
The other nine vehicles on the list include another Aston Martin and a Rolls Royce valued between $600,000 and $700,000, and then a more modest set that Nationwide said was worth between about $200,000 and $37,000.
- In:
- King Charles III
- British Royal Family
- Electric Vehicle
veryGood! (69395)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Family of Ajike Owens, Florida mom shot through neighbor's front door, speaks out
- How an on-call addiction specialist at a Massachusetts hospital saved a life
- Europe Saw a Spike in Extreme Weather Over Past 5 Years, Science Academies Say
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- This urban mosquito threatens to derail the fight against malaria in Africa
- InsideClimate News Wins SPJ Award for ‘Choke Hold’ Infographics
- 3 personal safety tips to help you protect yourself on a night out
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Abortion is on the ballot in Montana. Voters will decide fate of the 'Born Alive' law
Ranking
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- PHOTOS: If you had to leave home and could take only 1 keepsake, what would it be?
- Black Death survivors gave their descendants a genetic advantage — but with a cost
- A town employee who quietly lowered the fluoride in water has resigned
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Shakira Seemingly References Gerard Piqué Breakup During Billboard’s Latin Women in Music Gala
- Cheap Federal Coal Supports Largest U.S. Producers
- Get 2 Bareminerals Tinted Moisturizers for the Less Than the Price of 1 and Replace 4 Products at Once
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
K-9 dog dies after being in patrol car with broken air conditioning, police say
Arctic Heat Surges Again, and Studies Are Finding Climate Change Connections
Expanding Medicaid is popular. That's why it's a key issue in some statewide midterms
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Paying for mental health care leaves families in debt and isolated
This urban mosquito threatens to derail the fight against malaria in Africa
Today’s Climate: July 24-25, 2010