Royal Rides
The cars most driven by Royals
Whether on royal visits, state functions, or simply to get from A to B, royal families around the world need a fleet of cars to keep them moving. But which cars are the most monarchical?
We wanted to find out which cars are most often driven by royals and which brands are the most royal-friendly. We looked at the royal family cars in 20 countries, totalling 114 vehicles, to find out which is the most popular.
The Most Popular Car Brand for Royals
Some car brands just lend themselves to royal life, proving themselves popular with monarchs all around the world, but which ones are most often used by royal families?
- 1. Rolls-Royce – 16 royal cars
- 2. Mercedes-Benz – 13 royal cars
- 3. Bentley – 12 royal cars
- 4. BMW – 10 royal cars
- 5. Lexus – 9 royal cars
- 5. Range Rover – 9 royal cars
- 7. Audi – 7 royal cars
- 8. Cadillac – 5 royal cars
- 8. Volvo – 5 royal cars
- 10. Daimler – 4 royal cars
The Most Popular Royal Cars
When it comes to the models of car most popular with the royals, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the clear winner, accounting for five different royal cars around the world.
- 1. Mercedes-Benz S-Class – 6 royal cars
- 2. BMW 7-Series – 4 royal cars
- 3. Audi A6 – 3 royal cars
- 3. Bentley Arnage – 3 royal cars
- 3. Daimler DS420 – 3 royal cars
- 3. Lexus LS 600h L – 3 royal cars
- 3. Bentley Mulsanne – 3 royal cars
- 3. Rolls-Royce Phantom VI – 3 royal cars
- 3. Volvo S80 – 3 royal cars
The Most Expensive Cars Driven by Royals
We would expect nothing less than a hefty price tag when it comes to the vehicles of royal families around the world. We took a look at cost estimates for the most popular models driven by royals to find out who has the priciest cars in their garages.
- Rolls-Royce Phantom VI – average price of £410,400
- Bentley Mulsanne – average price of £270,181
- Bentley Arnage – average price of £169,032
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class – average price of £97,605
- BMW 7-Series – average price of £87,857
- Lexus LS 600h L – average price of £83,645
- Audi A6 – average price of £54,819
- Daimler DS420 – average price of £47,520
- Volvo S80 – average price of £31,698
The Most Unusual Royal Rides
Not every royal opts for a Rolls-Royce if they can help it, and in fact, some choose cars that you might not expect to see them in
- Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand drives herself around in a lime-green Volkswagen Beetle and a red Mini Cooper S.
- Queen Paola of Belgium drives herself in a Fiat 500.
- Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Prince Albert II of Monaco both drive Teslas.
- Prince Albert II of Monaco has a number of eco-friendly cars, including his Tesla Roadster.
The Royal Cars of the United Arab Emirates
We couldn’t talk about royal cars without mentioning the impressive car collections belonging to members of the royal families of the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, sometimes known as ‘The Rainbow Sheikh’ is known for his eccentric collection of supercars and bizarre hybrids, from his collection of Rainbow Mercedes’ to an 8-wheeler Nissan Patrol truck.
The Emir Sheikh, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has over 100 cars, including a custom Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG.