During the the Coronation Festival (11-14 July) visitors to the Buckingham Palace will have the rare opportunity to take a close look at Her Majesty The Queen’s official car, the Bentley State Limousine. This car is the equivalent of the Cadillac One used by the U.S. President, but it doesn’t have a cool name like The Beast.
No, it was nicknamed by its makers the Project Diamond. The Royal Bentley was a gift from the Crewe-based car maker to the Queen on the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne. The one of a kind car will be the centerpiece of a collection of Bentleys on display in Buckingham Palace Gardens throughout the festival.
The work on Project Diamond started in 2000 in form of a joint project between Bentley’s craftsmen, designers and engineers and several leading British automotive specialists. Inspired by the Poemobile, and with the goal of putting the Queen in a prominent position where well-wishers can get a good look at Her Majesty, the car features a ‘panoramic glasshouse’ in addition to increased ride height and raised seats.
The seating position was actually decided using a model of the same height as The Queen. They also put rear-hinged doors on the Royal Bentley that open through 90 degrees, so The Queen can walk in and out of the car with ease.
Bentley will also host an ‘open air workshop’ event during the festival, in which their designers and craftsmen show off their hand-to-eye coordination, skill and attention to detail needed to create Bentley’s luxury car models. You can see live how they contrast stitch a steering wheel or apply a crossband design to a wood veneer.
