The royal wedding cars

The new Duchess of Sussex was chauffeured in a 1950 Phantom IV, and if it looks familiar, you’re right. It’s the same car that was made for Queen Elizabeth II when she was still a princess. It’s also the first Rolls-Royce that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had, which shows how special the car is. Sentimental value is king, but there’s more to it than that.

Well, the Phantom IV is just one out of the eighteen cars that Rolls-Royce ever built from 1950 to 1956. Yes. 18. And take note, all 18 cars were only made for the brand’s patrons who it considered worthy. That’s right – only those who are part of the British royal family and other heads of state were given a chance to be driven in this masterpiece. 

The appearance of the vintage Phantom IV confirms the inclusion of Meghan Markle to the line of royal family members who used the same classic transport. Kate Middleton was the last one to use the Phantom IV in 2011, during her trip to Westminster Abby for the royal wedding with Prince William.Currently, only 16 Phantom IVs are known to exist, including the one that the new Duchess used in the royal wedding. The other 15 can be found in museums and other public and private collections. Considering that the cars are already six decades old, we’re not sure if all of them still run as good as the one we saw at the wedding.

The Royal wedding car that Prince Harry and Meghan left Windsor Castle in today was Jaguar Classic's all-electric E-type, first revealed in 2017 at its Tech Fest event in London, amidst a promise that all its production vehicles will be electric by 2020.

The E-type Zero is based on a 1968 Series 1½ E-type, restored and converted to electric power at JLR Classic’s new 14,000m sq headquarters in Coventry – just ten miles from the Browns Lane factory where E-types were originally produced. Prince Harry drove it away from Windsor Castle for an evening reception at nearby Frogmore House, hosted by Prince Charles.

By placing the lithium-ion battery where the famous six-cylinder XK engine once sat, and the 220kW electric motor and reduction gear directly behind it – in place of the four-speed gearbox – the E-type Zero virtually retains the same weight distribution as the original – although the Zero is actually 100lb, or 45kg, lighter which should ensure near identical handling..

Performance improves upon the original 246bhp model, with a 0-60mph time of 5.5 seconds, a second faster. Although with the same aerodynamics and final drive, top speed would be similar were it not for JLR limiting it to 100mph. However, it reaches that top speed in 10 seconds, a full six seconds faster than the original’s 0-100 time.

What’s important to note is that by slotting the battery and new powertrain into the spaces previously occupied by original engine and gearbox, the Zero could be converted back to original specification without structural changes. Indeed, the Zero’s bodywork and interior is unchanged except for LED headlights (for improved energy efficiency) and revised instruments and dashboard.

Sources: Autoclassics, Motor 1