Prince Philip’s Land Rover Defender triples in price in nine months

A Land Rover Defender first owned by the late Prince Philip has sold at a UK auction for £123,750 ($AU220,500) – almost three-times its sale price from an earlier auction last year.

In June 2022 – one year after the death of Prince Philip – the late Duke of Edinburgh’s Land Rover Defender ‘110 Country’ sold in a Collecting Cars auction for £44,000 ($AU78,400), but its most recent owner has since capitalised on the demand for ex-Royal Family cars after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in September last year.

In February 2023, Silverstone Auctions sold Prince Philip’s Land Rover Defender ‘110 Country’ for a hammer price of £123,750 ($AU220,500), representing a profit of almost £80,000 ($AU142,500) for the eight-month owner.

Silverstone Auctions reports Prince Philip’s Land Rover Defender was owned by the son of Queen Elizabeth II’s chauffeur for 11 years before it was purchased by its most recent owner in the Collecting Cars auction.

In the eight months between the two auctions, the Land Rover Defender’s odometer recorded an additional 164 miles (264km) – displaying a relatively low 15,623-mile (25,143km) reading.

According to the Silverstone Auctions listing, the Land Rover Defender was ordered by His Royal Highness in 2010 and built to his specifications, with its Keswick Green exterior paired with a black cloth interior, heated seats, air-conditioning plus front and rear heated windows.

While Prince Philip assigned his personal registration – OXR 2 – to the Land Rover when it was in his possession, the vehicle has since been re-registered.

The off-roader is powered by a Ford-built 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which develops up to 91kW and 359Nm. Drive is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

Production of the Land Rover Defender – which was largely based on the ‘Series’ Land Rovers from 1948 onwards – wrapped up in 2016, though the nameplate continues with a luxury-focused successor which launched in 2020.