A car once driven by the Princess Royal has gone up for auction, with an asking price of £23,000. The car is super rare, being one of only 77 ever built, but it’s perhaps best known for reasons Princess Anne would like to forget. The Princess Royal was caught speeding in the car on two occasions – and on two consecutive days.
- A car once driven by Princess Anne went under auction, with an asking price of £23,000
- The car is famous – or perhaps infamous – as the Princess Royal was caught breaking the law with it on two separate occasions, and this was immortalised in a season of Netflix’s The Crown
- In other royal news, Prince William and Catherine’s latest tribute has an adorable connection to a passion shared across different generations of the Royal Family
The first Middlebridge Scimitar GTE, a car made by Tamworth based company Reliant, went under auction with an asking price of £23,000.
Sound like a lot for an older car? Well, there’s many reasons the green Scimitar was worth the price.
And one of them is its role in a moment of royal history – one which made headline news.
The Middlebridge Scimitar was loaned to the Princess Royal while she waited for her own personal car to be built.
The sporting estate car had been her car of choice since the 1970s. After Reliant ceased production in 1986, the rights to the design were bought by Middlebridge Engineering.
The first Middlebridge Scimitar was built in 1989 and initially used as a press car, before being loaned to Her Royal Highness.
The auction website writes, “Having been very impressed with the car at its launch, HRH The Princess Royal placed an early order and was allocated #00005. Middlebridge Scimitar Ltd. were running behind schedule with the car and loaned her Number 1 for a week.”
“This was duly returned, however, her car was still not ready so the company loaned her No1 again for a period of six weeks this time. At some point during this period, she was enjoying Number 1 down the Fosse Way when she was pulled over for speeding by a local officer.”
“Amazingly, having let her off, and reminded her of the local laws, he was then forced to pull her over the very next day for the same crime. Naturally, the national press made the most of it (a double page spread in Autofocus) and it featured in the evening news on television. Number 1 became the most recognisable car in the country for a day or two at least.”
After racking up a couple of speeding offences, the Princess Royal was banned from driving for a month in 1990, and she was also fined £150 after pleading guilty to two speeding offences.
This was forever immortalised in a scene from The Crown, when the Princess Royal is depicted singing away to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, bombing down the road in a car identical to the one which went under auction.
-
Kate Garraway spreads Christmas joy with rainbow checkerboard dress and pink heelsKate Garraway's patterned jumper dress reminded us that fabulous festive outfits can also be so cosy and comfortable
-
Drew Barrymore says she ‘struggled so much’ mentally with perimenopause, revealing her unexpected symptomsDrew Barrymore has opened up about the mental toll perimenopause has taken on her, explaining the barrage of symptoms she's been hit with since entering this phase.
-
Princess Anne wrapped up warm and chic in burnt orange coat, fluffy hat and mid calf boots for day at the racesThe Princess Royal wore a stunning orange coat with easy-to-style accessories to Cheltenham Festival in 2015 - and she looked so cosy
-
Princess Anne’s purple cape and knee high kitten heel boots was the most *her* outfit for a freezing dayThe Princess Royal's signature style champions practicality and bold colours and her 2016 Cheltenham outfit was the epitome of this
-
Princess Anne's dainty gold drop earrings are her go-to for adding a dash of dazzle to her day to day dressingPrincess Anne loves this pair of gold drop earrings and they're the perfect accessory to add glamour in an understated way
-
Princess Anne was the epitome of cosy elegance in snowy white coat and suede knee high boots for family outingThe Princess Royal wore a beautiful white coat and tan suede boots on Christmas Day last year and showed how timeless these pieces are
-
Princess Anne looked so cosy-chic in her classic camel coat, mid-calf boots and sentimental scarfThe Princess Royal went for her signature timeless style as she enjoyed a day at the races - and her scarf was reportedly a sweet gift
-
Princess Anne’s chocolate brown knee high boots prove comfort and style go hand-in-hand on cold autumn daysThe Princess Royal has just re-worn her trusty brown knee high boots and reminded us that practicality and style are the perfect pairing
-
Princess Anne’s major responsibility that she shares with only King Charles and Prince William is seriously specialThe Princess Royal has many royal duties and one of her key roles is something she shares with only two other Royal Family members
-
Princess Anne’s husband was granted special privilege by Queen Elizabeth after major family change - and only one other adult royal got it tooPrincess Anne's husband Sir Timothy Laurence was one of two royal adults who had an exception made for them by Queen Elizabeth
