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There are two things you need to know about Queen Elizabeth II. First of all, she loved her royal corgis. Next, this literal queen loved her Land Rover trucks, SUVs, station wagons, and more. Her fleet had unique mods to protect the beloved corgi squad. 

Queen Elizabeth II had Land Rover mods for corgi safety 

Queen Elizabeth II loved her corgis and Land Rover SUVs from a young age. She got her first corgi, Susan, in 1944 and owned roughly 30 during her life. But the corgis did have plenty of chauffeurs on staff. 

She also lived to drive. She learned how to drive a manual truck during the war and was often spotted driving her own Defender models around the royal estates. The oldest vehicle in her collection is a 1954 Land Rover Series 1. 

It has a custom rear platform, for extra cargo space and a place for corgi to relax. Corgis also rode in Rover models with custom blue lights to indicate when a royal was inside. 

Most of her vehicles had a wooden guard dog inside to protect her corgis. While corgis are loud, fast, and brave, they have a weak bite.

The wooden dog looked bigger and more aggressive to prevent people from trying to break in and steal the short herding dogs. 

Queen Elizabeth II riding in the back of a Land Rover
Queen Elizabeth II in a Range Rover | GettyImages

Plus, vehicles like Elizabeth’s custom 1966 Series II Station Wagon had side steps. This allowed the corgis to enter and exit the vehicles on their own. Sure, they could be picked up and lifted, but that harmed their independence and dignity. 

Elizabeth had a 1974 Range Rover State Review for years. It had custom storage for items like umbrellas and leashes to keep both humans and dogs dry. 

Most of her vehicles received a modified exhaust system to dampen the noise from stout V8 engines. This kept interior noise at a lower level for comfort and to protect sensitive puppy ears. 

Also, there were athletic changes. For example, the labrador mascot that adorned Land Rover hoods had to go. That’s the wrong type of dog for royalty.

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Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.