Cars of Her Majesty's Government?

[DrSebWilkes]

I have been watching The House of Cards and I was quite impressed that the ministerial elite, like cabinet ministers and of course the PM, had Jags, and anyone of less important was stuck with a Rover.

I did some digging and this is much the case then as it is today: PMs have Jags and others have some less fancy car.


^^ here is Francis Urquhart's Soverign that I screenshotted 

So, was there some deal then between Leyland (and then I suppose the respective companies) and the government? I'm just curious really 

And for the fun of it, let's see some more cars of Her Majesty's government. 

[colnerov]

Hi, Yes the government had to be seen to be backing British industry. It wasn't just ministry cars, it was across the board with the nationalised industries unless there was a good reason not to like another manufacturer had a specialised vehicle.

Colin

[highvoltage]

Not always the case Seb,Maggie Thatcher used a Rover P5 in the early days of her PM'ship though later it was Jags..
Various new Austin Rover/BL products used to turn up at Downing St for a photocall in those days too.









Ted Heath had a P5 too and Harold Wilson had a Vanden Plas which still survives,not sure if that was a personal or ministerial car though.

[DrSebWilkes]

Thanks Chaps,

Those P5s must be a bit old at that point? Wouldn't that look unfavourable to Britain's contemporary cars?


But thanks for the pictures chaps!

[highvoltage]

Thatchers P5 would have been about 6-7 years old at the time,but the P5 had been around since 1958 so an old design yes.
The SD1 was already 3 years old at the time she became PM but they stuck with P5's !

[grifterkid]

The last Rover P5's ever made were registered by the government and salted away for future use hence why Maggie was still using one in the late 1970's...

I think that even though they were older than anything else they still had that certain air of gravitas needed by people in power.

I think certain government members used top-spec Rootes motors too...

[colnerov]

Hi, the longer service life of the P5b and XJ6's was most likely because they were 'close protection' vehicles needed for the status of the 'principle'.

Colin

[highvoltage]

Oct 20, 2016 17:33:42 GMT grifterkid said:

The last Rover P5's ever made were registered by the government and salted away for future use hence why Maggie was still using one in the late 1970's...

I think that even though they were older than anything else they still had that certain air of gravitas needed by people in power.

I think certain government members used top-spec Rootes motors too...

Yep,they lasted into the early/maybe mid 80's by which time they were conspicuously old fashioned.Still a car with a heavyweight aura though.

[DrSebWilkes]

What about very early on? Was there any deals or preference?

[highvoltage]

Oct 21, 2016 11:24:20 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

What about very early on? Was there any deals or preference?

They were always British made,though that has got increasingly difficult !
I would think deals were done on a PM by PM basis back then.

Balfour was the first PM with a car which was a 16hp Napier.

Wolseleys and Humbers were used too,Churchill had a Humber Pullman and a special bodied 2 door Vanden Plas that pretty tragically got banger raced.
Harold Macmillan used a Humber Imperial.

In the mid 70's the Wilson government ordered a bunch of 20x black Wolseley 18-22 autos for ministers (the Princess shaped one).That was a deal to show confidence in the newly state owned BL as faults on the 18-22 and Princess were making national news.Some of them survived into the Thatcher years and one still exists i think.

Only one minister has had an XJS afaik,though not an official car.

[darrenh]

is it a bit harsh to imply the P5 was ordinary ? at that point in time rover were more of a prestige car company making only upmarket saloons ?

[DrSebWilkes]

Oct 21, 2016 13:21:04 GMT darrenh said:

is it a bit harsh to imply the P5 was ordinary ? at that point in time rover were more of a prestige car company making only upmarket saloons ?

So what changed from the "P" series to the days of the SD1 ? SD1 was a manager's car but nothing really prestigious like perhaps a Jag might have been seen as.

[colnerov]

Oct 21, 2016 14:01:19 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

Oct 21, 2016 13:21:04 GMT darrenh said:

is it a bit harsh to imply the P5 was ordinary ? at that point in time rover were more of a prestige car company making only upmarket saloons ?

So what changed from the "P" series to the days of the SD1 ? SD1 was a manager's car but nothing really prestigious like perhaps a Jag might have been seen as.

Hi, What happened was British Leyland devalued the Rover name in trying to raise the profile of all the other makes and models they inherited or acquired.

Colin

[s1105117]

Oct 20, 2016 17:19:04 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

Thanks Chaps,

Those P5s must be a bit old at that point? Wouldn't that look unfavourable to Britain's contemporary cars?


But thanks for the pictures chaps!

there was a feature on these in practical classics recently :-) apparently they were stockpiled by government depts before the were replaced as they were so popular. The mag had a Whole feature on maggies motors one month

[s1105117]

Oct 20, 2016 17:19:04 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

Thanks Chaps,

Those P5s must be a bit old at that point? Wouldn't that look unfavourable to Britain's contemporary cars?


But thanks for the pictures chaps!

there was a feature on these in practical classics recently :-) apparently they were stockpiled by government depts before the were replaced as they were so popular. The mag had a Whole feature on maggies motors one month

[MkX]

Although a very good car, the P6 was presumably too small and 'ordinary' looking, (at that time), to be a Ministerial chariot. I think the SD1 would have been a good enough car, particularly the Vanden Plas version.

Government aside, her Majesty has always been a high profile promoter of the various prestige British marques, she owned a P5B saloon which was her own car rather than a Chauffered one. She loves to drive and can be seen in everything from a Land Rover or Range Rover through  XJ's to her Bentleys, (OK, perhaps Jag & Bentley aren't all that British any more). Prince Philip used to drive himself around London is his own black cab under the basic premise that he was far less likely to get recognised & he could cut into bus lanes without being noticed.

I've seen a couple of the Prime Ministerial cars coming up on ebay including a P5B and the Vanden Plas (I think it was a 4 litre R ?)

[optimusprime]

Philip also drove an Electric powered Bedford Cf van around one of the royal estates.

[duggers]

Prince Philip used to ride a C90 around royal grounds in a panama style hat as well..........

[southside]

Not that retro but they were still using Rovers up until 2005. This was Allister Darlings 75 LWB

[davethepieman]

Oct 21, 2016 12:57:39 GMT highvoltage said:

Churchill had a Humber Pullman and a special bodied 2 door Vanden Plas that pretty tragically got banger raced.

I remember that being raced as it was at my local track - I would appreciate more info on the car and how it came to meet its end on the banger track if anyone has any.