Few everyday objects evoke a particular era quite like cars, and this unique gathering of British-made motor vehicles tells the story of the Queen’s 90 years like nothing else.
Lined up on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, the parade was the idea of car-loving MPs as their way of celebrating Her Majesty’s 90th birthday year.
They range from a “Bullnose” Morris Oxford Tourer built in 1926, the year of the Queen’s birth, to a 2016 Jaguar F-Pace and encompass British icons such as the first ever Mini, a red London bus, a black cab and a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, all driven by owners in appropriate period costume.
Richard Burden MP, who chairs the all-party motor group in Parliament, said: “This is a celebration of the Queen’s birthday but also a celebration of the British car industry.
“It might be difficult for a young person to grasp the concept of how long a period of time 90 years is, but look at a car of 90 years ago and a car of today and it’s easy to see how much things have changed during the Queen’s lifetime.”
When the Queen was born in 1926, automobiles driven by steam were enjoying a brief renaissance. Today hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries and solar power are the future of the car industry.
The £20 million line-up at the Palace, which travelled from as far away as the Borders and Cornwall, includes such famous marques as Jaguar, Aston Martin, Range Rover, Bentley, Lotus and Ford, but also serves as a reminder of how many more British manufacturers there once were: Wolseley, Morris, Windsor, Lea Francis, Austin, Humber and others.
John Cole, a veteran classic car rally organiser who arranged the parade on behalf of the all-party motor group and the all-party historic vehicles group, said: “All of these cars are interesting in their own right, and they tell the story of how technology has moved on during the Queen’s life.
“One of the cars we have is a Triumph Roadster from 1946, which was regarded as an above-average sports car in its day. The brochure boasted that it could do 0-60mph in 29.6 seconds. We also have a McLaren P1 hybrid car from 2012 which will go from 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds.
“It’s a superb collection of vehicles. I organise a lot of car events and usually the owners will say they might come or they might not, but mention Buckingham Palace and they fall over themselves to get there.”
The most valuable car on display was thought to be an original Ford GT-40 supercar from 1967, worth in excess of £5 million. Built in Slough, it is a reminder that Britain has long been a powerhouse of motor racing, with GT40s winning the Le Mans 24 hour race four successive times in the 1960s.
Other racers on display include a Bentley Le Mans from 1929, an Aston Martin Le Mans from 1932, a Jaguar E-Type from 1961 and an MG Metro 6R4 rally car from 1985.
Among the more humble vehicles are a 1962 Ford Cortina, a 1959 Mini which was the very first to be built, a 2000 Vauxhall Vectra and a 2016 Ford Focus.
Almost all are privately owned, but a few are on loan from museums, including the double decker bus which is owned by the London Bus Museum in Brooklands, Surrey, and the Mini, which belongs to the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwicks.
Mr Cole said: “Thank God all these people are out there preserving our heritage.”
The Queen was, sadly, not in residence at the Palace, but the cars were inspected by Prince Michael of Kent, a car enthusiast and President of the Royal Automobile Club.
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