Driving her majesty's Jag

A royal wave from PH as we waft around central London in some regal (genuinely) Jags and Rangies

Land Rover has had plenty to celebrate this year. Along with its 65th anniversary and the debut of the second-gen Range Rover Sport (we did mention that, right?), 2013 marks 60 years of the Queen's coronation. Land Rover is therefore particularly keen to celebrate its regal ties, hence our drive in Her Majesty's Land Rover V8 recently. And this weekend saw a celebration of both Land Rover and Jaguar products with royal links, taking in elements of the Coronation route along the way. Rude not to blow some of the cobwebs out of the fleet. At a suitably regal pace, of course.

1955 Jaguar MkVIIM saloon
Usually when a writer focuses on one facet of a car's character, it's something like the noise, the speed or the styling. What you need to know about the Queen Mother's Jaguar Mk VIIM saloon is the smell.

There's an indomitable and inescapable aroma of aged leather and wood, one that is intensified as heat from the mechanical components permeates the cabin. Even with the windows lowered there is no escaping it; like a piece of old furniture, it's a scent of the past that's utterly unique and quite intoxicating (actually, that probably was the fumes).

The furniture analogy can be further extended to driving the 1955 MkVII. Being perched on a bench seat (fixed in Her Majesty's preferred driving position) with no seatbelt gives the impression of controlling a sofa rather than anything automotive. The steering wheel, whilst beautifully thin and elegant in design, could easily double-up as a captain's ship wheel such is its diameter. It's not an ideal driving environment, put it that way.

Down the Mall and onto the coronation route, the MkVII certainly takes some acclimatisation. Both pedals take a firm push to elicit any response yet the steering can be twirled with just fingertips (thank the retrofitted power steering for that). A delicate wand of an indicator stalk is further at odds with the other quite firm controls.

It's fascinating to hear an engine note so inextricably linked with Jaguar sports cars emerging from a huge saloon, but there's an undeniable straight-six bark to the MkVII. However, whilst the engine came across from the the XK120, its disc brakes did not, so a formal request to the four drums should be sent well in advance of a stop through another stomp on the pedal.

But what an experience! Looking out across that vast plain of a bonnet, watching the needles on the Smiths dials wobble as the fluids warm and feeling the whole body shimmy as another gear is selected is so unfamiliar and yet beguiling at the same time.

2002 Daimler Super V8
It would always be hard to match the theatre of the Queen Mother's Jaguar, and so it proved with the 2002 Daimler Super V8. BK52DLO was used by the Queen from 2002 until 2004 and is now part of Jaguar's 150-car heritage fleet. It's one of the last X308-shape saloons produced at Browns Lane and standard, bar the very cool addition of some blues'n'twos lights.

And standard really does mean standard, right down to the Fiesta window switches. But that also means an utterly effortless drive, with an easily modulated throttle, a smooth-shifting auto box and an absorbent, pillowy ride.

The light tricks may not be road legal, but a dose of LWB Daimler V8 luxury is now available for £7,000 with an identical mechanical spec. It rather lacks some provenance however, and it doesn't have just 10,000 miles on the odometer...

2002 Range Rover Royal Review
With the two prioritised cars driven, there was just enough time for one more drive. With London's landmarks filling with tourists, the thought of navigating Parliament Square in an early Land Rover filled me with dread. The fact that Autocar's Darren Moss had suffered a breakdown in a Series II meant a modern vehicle effectively chose itself. And having never driven a Range Rover previously, where better to start than a two-seat purple L322?

Until an L405 is converted, this Range Rover 'Royal Review' will continue in active service with the Royals. Aside from the rather fundamental body alterations to allow for a pair of al fresco passengers, it's a standard 2002 V8 Range Rover. So there's the commanding driving position and easy controls, the biggest change being the absence of any conventional seats in the rear-view mirror. It was a useful insight to the appeal of Range Rovers in urban areas; no, it isn't nimble but the visibility is excellent and everything responds predictably and accurately. Progress isn't exactly incognito with this one though...

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