From Mr Bean to The Queen: Iconic 4x4s coming up for sale

Whether off roading, taking a road trip or simply going about your daily business, a sturdy 4x4 is often just the ticket to fulfil all of your driving needs. Spacious, comfortable and capable of tackling almost any terrain, they are often the go-to vehicles for petrolheads and non-petrolheads alike. The three examples written about here aren’t just your regular 4x4s, however. With two having famous owners and one inspired by Britain’s most famous fictional spy, they represent a unique opportunity for lucky buyers. Let’s have a look at them in closer detail…

2015 Land Rover Defender 110 Heritage Edition
GUIDE PRICE: £65,000 - £80,000
Offered by Iconic Auctioneers

Fans of Mr Bean, pay attention. Offered directly by Rowan Atkinson and with only 3,800 miles on the clock, this pristine example of a Heritage Edition Defender was one of the final models to mark the end of the production of the original Defender in 2016.

Atkinson, a well known petrolhead, bought this Defender - one of only 400 Heritage Edition models made - in 2017 and paid to have a tow bar, air conditioning and car alarm fitted for an extra £4,278. Despite most of the 400 models being 90 versions, this is a 110 version which gives it a long wheelbase.

Finished in Grasmere Green with an Alaskan White roof, Heritage style grill and heavy duty steel wheels, this is a throwback to the original Defender. However, modern upgrades like a perforated leather steering wheel and gear lever, Almond Resolve interior trim, door lock and a padded cubby box between the front seats give it a slightly more contemporary feel.

This lot will be auctioned on Saturday 24th February, 2024 at 11am GMT at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry.

2021 Land Rover Defender 110 5.0 V8 Bond Edition
GUIDE PRICE: £160,000 - £175,000
Offered by Iconic Auctioneers

Offered directly from the first owner with only 800 miles on the clock, this Defender is one of only 300 made and one to look out for if you’re a James Bond fan.

In Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, No Time to Die, there is a chase sequence set in Norway (although filmed in Scotland) where Bond is pursued by three 518bhp supercharged 5-litre petrol V8 Defenders across muddy terrain.

To celebrate its role and coincide with the launch of the film, the Defender V8 Bond Edition was created by Land Rover’s SV Bespoke team, available to order as either a 90 or 110. Finished in all black and with 22" black alloy wheels paired with a rear 'Defender 007' badge and blue brake callipers, the vehicles were a rare example of Defender that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

The example for sale is one of the ten examples supplied to the UK as a 110, the other five being the 90. It joined the vendor’s extensive James Bond inspired car collection and was registered as N007 TTD, a nod to the film’s initials.

This lot will be auctioned on Saturday 24th February, 2024 at 11am GMT at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry

Queen Elizabeth II’s Land Rover Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography LWB
ON SALE FOR: £224,850

This particular Range Rover was commissioned by the Royal Household in March 2016 and has chauffered the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to and from high profile events as well as the Obamas on their state visit that same year.

The Land Rover Workshop in Gaydon fitted several modifications including side steps and a police siren. Although these have since been removed, a set of grab rails and a warning label for the police siren are included as part of the sale, as well as its original number plates - OU16 XVH.

Finished in metallic blue with a cream leather interior, this SDV8 Autobiography LWB comes with 18,000 miles on the clock, 2,586 covered during Royal ownership. It is powered by a 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged diesel V8 with 339hp, all navigated by an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It has a 0 to 60mph time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 135mph.

Inside, extra legroom is a bonus, thanks to its extended wheelbase and headrest screens have been reinstated for the new owner, having previously been removed.

Matt Bird, Deputy Editor of PistonHeads, said: “This model is desirable enough already, but to know this was personal transport for the late Queen and Prince Phillip elevates this Range Rover onto another plane of specialness entirely. This would have been one of the final vehicles specified by Her Majesty; that it remains with some of those features intact is lovely to see. Knowing that this vehicle was used for the Obamas on a state visit only furthers the appeal. For those enamoured with the Royal family, it’s an unrepeatable (and wonderful) piece of history.”

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Iconic Auctioneers & PistonHeads.com