5 special cars of the royal family

There are still a few days until King’s Day. For us the perfect excuse to walk past the royal fleet.

Although the royal family had many cars, we highlight five in particular that the family drives or has driven.

5 special cars of the royal family

1. Audi A8 L

We now know King Willem-Alexander’s Audi A8 L, but it’s too specific to skip. For example, 45 centimeters more aluminum has been added to the center of the Audi to give the car ample legroom. The L version is itself longer than the “normal” A8, so the overall length of the car is 5.72 meters. Of course, the lengthening and security measures in the form of armor bring some weight with them. The royal family’s car weighs around 3725 kilos.

The second row of seats, where Willem-Alexander is most likely to be found, is fully equipped. In addition to plenty of legroom, there is also space for a small fridge. There are extendable tables in the backrests of the front seats so that the king can also do his duty on the go. In addition, the car is equipped with two 10.2-inch LCD screens. A bit old now, but that shouldn’t spoil the fun.

2.Ferrari 500 Superfast

Prince Bernhard van Lippe-Biesterveld was known as a real Ferrari fanatic in his day. According to his autobiography, Enzo Ferrari spent his life regularly with Queen Juliana’s husband. His preference for the Italian brand can be seen in the examples in his fleet. Perhaps his finest is his 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast, now on display in the Louwman Museum.

The beautiful car has a tasteful dark green appearance and a beautiful sand colored interior. The design of the Superfast came from Pininfarina, of course. The Ferrari is an extremely exclusive model in itself, as only 37 examples were made. However, Prince Bernhard was so good friends with Enzo Ferrari that he was able to take it a step further. Ferrari made a copy especially for him with a 4.0-litre V12 instead of the usual 5.0-litre. The only model in the world with this power source.

3. Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine State Landaulette

Queen Juliana bought this beautiful Rolls-Royce in September 1957. Willem-Alexander’s grandmother opted for the long wheelbase, as is customary with Dutch monarchs. “Landaulette” means that the rear part of the roof can be folded. The Rolls-Royce features a 4.5-litre V8 engine and an automatic transmission specially made for the occasion by General Motors. Rolls-Royce never supplied the car with an automatic transmission as standard.

Since purchasing the car, it has been used for many impressive events. Willem-Alexander and Maxima, for example, used this model as their wedding car. Even Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of the United Kingdom were transported in the Rolls-Royce Wraith. The car is currently owned by Autobedrijf Meijers, where you can rent it yourself for your own wedding day.

4. TVR Sagaris

Prince Bernhard junior, a member of the royal family, is also infected with the car virus. Like his grandfather, he has a passion for everything on four wheels. In 2006 he bought a TVR Sagaris. The prince had a copy with the steering wheel on the left. Only twelve of these were made worldwide. In 2011 he offered the racing car for sale for 89,000 euros. Still a nice depreciation as the new price was more than 130,000 euros.

He probably enjoyed it as the Sagaris has an impressive performance. The British car comes with a 4.0-litre straight-six that produces 400 hp and 420 Nm of torque. The member of the royal family shoots from zero to one hundred in less than 3.7 seconds and you can touch a maximum of 295 kilometers per hour.

5. Alfa Romeo 8C

The TVR isn’t the only special car that was owned by Prince Bernhard Junior. He may call himself the owner of an Alfa Romeo 8C. Prince Bernhard has bought an 8C twice. First it was a black Competizione that was sent to the Netherlands as one of 10 examples. A few years ago, however, he was driving a red Spyder at the Zandvoort circuit.

The Royal Family member’s Alfa has a top speed of 292 km/h and takes just 4.2 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100. The 4.7-liter V8 delivers 450 hp and 470 Nm of torque. So Prince Bernhard was one of the first people in the Netherlands to hold a copy in his hands and had to dig deep into his pocket for it. The new price of the car was a sloppy 220,000 euros.