Royal Review Vehicle used by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

The Land Rover that was modified and driven by REME personnel for ceremonial use by The Queen Mother in Berlin

From 1968 until the 1980s, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, used this specially adapted Land Rover Series 2A to undertake review visits to the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) at the Berlin Garrison.

The car was modified by REME personnel to include an open cab, and steps, handrail and open seating at the back. This allowed for the Queen Mother to sit or stand while reviewing the troops on ceremonial parade. It is believed that the car’s list of passengers during its service in Berlin included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

This one-of-a-kind car is, actually, one of a pair. Another was modified for the purpose of royal reviews, but for use by Military Police to provide security for the VIP conducting the review. It is understood that these vehicles were modified using locally available car parts at the time, which included hub caps and mirrors from the Volkswagen (VW) Beetle, another car with a significant role in Corps history.

The Land Rover was eventually taken out of service in 1993. However, its story and service did not end there. In 2014, actor Idris Elba OBE arrived at the Invictus Games Opening Ceremony in the back of the car, driven by Kelvin ‘Roger’ Jones MBE, who was the REME Museum’s Reserve Collection Manager for many years.

Even today, the car is maintained to a working standard and has recently been used to transport senior Officers off the site as they leave their posts in Lyneham.