The Jaguar X-Type estate once owned and driven by Queen Elizabeth II that was bought at auction last year by Chris Evans and subsequently donated to raise funds for charity will return to the block later this month where it will be sold with no reserve.
Evans snapped up the ‘Emerald Fire’ green Jag at a Historics auction in November for £43,000 before gifting it to Comic Relief for its Red Nose Day appeal.
Having made almost £300,000 for the charity, the car is set to go full circle when it heads back to the block on 22 July where it will be sold with a mere 72,975 miles on the clock – many of which accrued with Her Majesty on board.
The total funds raised from the sale will once again be handed to good causes by the vendor who won the vehicle on Red Nose Day after donating.
Royal ride: The 2009 Jaguar X-Type Estate once owned and driven by Queen Elizabeth II that was bought at auction last year by Chris Evans and subsequently gifted to Comic Relief to raise funds for the charity is set to return to the block this month
Chris Evans’ CarFest donated the Queen’s Jaguar Estate to Comic Relief to help raise funds for the charity in March (stock image)
The 2009 Jaguar X-Type Estate features ‘Emerald Fire’ green paintwork and has racked-up just under 73,000 in its 14 year lifetime
Inside, the Jag features plenty of traditional wood-effect trim. The petrol engine is linked to an automatic gearbox
Under the bonnet, the car features a 3.0-litre V6 engine – the biggest and most powerful available in the range when the X-Type was produced between 2001 and 2009
The boot has a protective liner designed to keep the compartment clean when transporting dogs. It suggests Her Majesty would have used it when moving around with her much-loved corgis
Evans paid around seven times the value of a standard Jaguar X-Type when he placed his winning bid for Her Majesty’s Jaguar in November.
When speaking about donating the car to the charity via his CarFest event, he said: ‘I’m so grateful CarFest is able to support Comic Relief and I’m thrilled that we are able to donate this very special historic car, and so pleased to be able to share it with another enthusiast, especially for such an important cause.’
The winner of the car on Red Nose Day (17 March) was Jane Lewis of Broadstone, Dorset, who was one of thousands to donate.
It was only when the car was delivered to her and her husband Bob that she realised her good fortune.
‘I must admit that I thought it was a Comic Relief prank when I got a call from them saying I’d won Her Majesty the Queen’s Jaguar,’ she said.
‘Once over the shock of winning it’s been such a joy to drive, but it deserves to be in the care of an enthusiastic collector and so we decided to return it to sale and make a donation to charity from the proceeds’, she added.
The car has racked up fewer than 500 miles since it was offered by Historic Auctioneers last November
The Queen was photographed in the car last March as she was driven to take her corgis for a walk at Frogmore Gardens
The back seats in the 13-year-old car look immaculate as do the door cards, carpets and wooden trim
While it isn’t possible to buy your way onto the throne, one bidder will be able to sit in the late Queen’s old driving seat
It will appear at Historics summer sale at Windsorview Lakes on 22 July – fittingly just miles from Windsor Castle – providing another opportunity to own an exceptional piece of history.
As before, it will be offered at no reserve, meaning it should attract huge interest for what is essentially a nineties family wagon.
Samir Patel, ceo of Comic Relief said: ‘Without doubt this was a prize like no other, and the response from our supporters truly echoed that.
‘With tens of thousands of entries, we’ve been able to raise nearly £300,000 to help so many people facing incredibly tough times in the UK and around the world.
‘It’s an amazing amount and we’re extremely grateful to Jane and everyone who donated. It’s wonderful to hear of her plans to donate some of the proceeds to another worthy cause and hope it brings huge enjoyment to its new owner.’
For a 14-year-old car, its bodywork looks immaculate with no supermarket car park dings, as do the alloy wheels with no signs of impacts from kerbs and potholes
As well as the extensive service history, the car comes with two sets of keys, one of which shows some Royal wear and tear
As befitting a car once owned by a monarch, it has a ‘Barley’ tan leather interior and a range of creature comforts such as a sunroof, climate control, electric windows and an automatic transmission.
It also has a protective boot mat, which would have been used to keep the compartment clean when transporting the Queen’s much loved corgis.
It was reportedly kept in Her Majesty’s fleet as a back-up vehicle for her much-loved Land Rover, suggesting this was the reliable workhorse she would turn to when the 4X4 might have become problematic.
It will be sold with lots of original documentation, including the booklet stating its former registration as ‘PYN IF’ during its royal service, which can also be seen in photos with HM the Queen at the wheel.
It successfully passed an MOT in April with no advisories.
CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
