On Her Majesty's Service: 2002 Bentley State Limousine

[Bartek S.]

After the previous owners at Vickers prepared the Arnage sedan just in time for Volkswagen to take ownership, it took Bentley another five years to come out with the Continental GT. But before the new generation of Bentley Continentals made their debuts, Crewe created a special vehicle called the Bentley State Limousine. But before you run out to your local Bentley dealership in pursuit of what no one else at the country club will have, consider that Bentley made only two examples, exclusively for HM Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Believe it or not, however, this was the first time in all its nearly ninety-year history as one of Britain's most prominent luxury automakers that Bentley was asked to make a limousine for the crown, as previous limos had been created by Daimler and Rolls-Royce. The distinction allowed Bentley to utilize the distinguished "By appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II" label with the Queen's coat of arms, which the company flashes proudly in Rolls-Royce's big chrome face.
The State Limousine took two years to develop and is based on the Arnage, but fitted with unique bodywork styled by Bentley and crafted in-house at its Mulliner coachbuilding division. The exterior is visually distinct and more old-fashion than the Arnage, and features an enlarged greenhouse, with opaque rear window panels that can be installed for privacy or stowed in the trunk for parade visibility. The State Limousine also features suicide rear doors and measures some three-feet longer, ten-inches taller and six-inches wider than the Arnage, and is equipped with armored bodywork and windows, plus a blast-proof floor and an airtight cabin. All that means an 8,818-pound curb weight, pulled around by the same 400hp 6.75-liter V8 as used in the long-wheelbase Arnage RL. Stylistically, the State Limousine looks something like a cross between the Hongqi HQE and a London taxi – you can decide for yourself in the gallery below, where you'll notice the vehicle's deceptive dimensions and the obviation of the license plate frame for the Queen's own motor-carriage. Somehow we don't think she'll be pulled over.

Gallery: 2002 Bentley State Limousine

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/on-her-majestys-service-2002-bentley-state-limousine/

 

[Centurion]

Is the car huge or is the man very small?

 

[Tarek]

^Lol,the car is huge and fugly

 

[VroomVroom]

^Lol,the car is huge and fugly

Or is it that the guy is tiny and really good looking???

 

[Tarek]

Or is it that the guy is tiny and really good looking???

Maybe,u know it's subjective

 

[ree]

Well, we can definitely argue about the design here - but in my opinion, this car has some great design elements, that makes it really a good looking car! It looks majestic and special!! And that's just perfect for its "employment"!

 

[Centurion]

The colour scheme is a bit reminiscent of the Maybach concept.

 

[VroomVroom]

Maybe,u know it's subjective

Nope your definitely right..the car IS huge and Fugly

 

[coolraoul]

The car is enormous, and extremely high, to allow HM the Queen to keep his huge flower-hats in the car...

Without this too high roof (ant the way too big rear windows) it could have looked awesome IMO. However the two colour scheme is very bad resolved, the red color just stops at a moment and is replaced with no particular effort by the black... Not at a shutline or anything like in the Maybach, and not even at the bottom of the A and C-pillars...

I think it is a (weird) attempt to make the black roof appear less high than it is, by making the bottom of the pillars red like if it still was the side of the car and make the roof visually lower.

 

[Bartek S.]

From Royal Blue to Green: the Queen retrofits her Bentleys to run on bio-fuel

Britain's royal family may not have the power to legislate any new initiatives, green or otherwise, but the heads of state still wield influence over public opinion and have taken up the cause of environmentally-conscious motoring. Following the lead of her son and heir Charles, the Prince of Wales – who had his Aston Martin converted to run on old wine and his Range Rover, Jaguar and Audi to run on discarded cooking oil – Queen Elizabeth II is having her bespoke Bentley limos converted to run on bio-fuels.

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