Philip of Edinburgh died shortly before his 100th birthday, during which time he had a decisive weight in the British monarchy and in which he was able to unleash his passion for cars. “Felipe likes to drive and he drives fast,” said Isabel shortly after meeting her later husband.
As consort to the Queen of England, the Duke of Edinburgh leaves behind a long list of cars and other types of vehicles that he has driven, until he suffered a accident in 2019 that caused him to leave the wheel forever as they are no longer in physical condition. Elizabeth II also had to stop driving her beloved Land Rovers when the ailments of age did not guarantee her safety.
He declared himself a ‘petrolhead’, a true fan of gasoline and speed, both in sports cars and in airplanes, his other passion. He has driven all kinds of vehicles, from turismos ‘made in UK’ which he showed his support for by incorporating them into the royal garages and visiting countless factories as the British automotive industry was still in full swing before the brands fell into the hands of foreign groups. In the long list of vehicles in which Felipe de Edimburgo took the wheel, some of them stand out for their unique character.
Ogle Triplex Scimitar GTS
This is probably the most avant-garde and unique car ever driven by Philip of Edinburgh. It is a model that was presented at the 1965 London Motor Show. It remained as a prototype, which was acquired by Felipe and kept as his personal vehicle for two years. The purpose of this prototype was to demonstrate the potential of glass sheets to cover the entire top and side of the vehicle.
A London gas taxi
Since 1999, Philippe of Edinburgh had been on the move on many occasions when he wanted to go unnoticed in a gas-powered green London Metrocab taxi that was specially adapted for the prince.
Classic MG
This was the sports car with which Felipe wooed Isabel when they were dating. The queen assured that the duke was very proud of his little two-seater. “He took me on it, one time to London, which was a lot of fun, it was just like sitting on the road, and the wheels were almost head-high,” said the queen.
Aston Martin Lagonda
The British brand adapted an Aston Martin Lagonda with some requirements from the prince, such as a telephone.
Alvis Serie 2
After seeing it at the London Motor Show, Felipe fell in love with this model that he ended up buying with some real extras too.
Land Rover
Land Rover is one of the brands preferred by the British royal house, especially to go to the countryside. The queen herself used to drive them around her properties and so did Felipe. The accident he suffered in 2019 was aboard a Land Rover in which it became his last journey before abandoning driving. The prince apologized to the other driver of a Kia who was run over and suffered a wrist injury, claiming that the sun had dazzled him.
Rolls-Royce
For many years, the luxurious Rolls-Royce limousines had the privilege of being the official park vehicles of the British royal house for special occasions. From there, the Rolls prevailed in other monarchies such as the Spanish.
–
