It’s not every day Her Majesty the Queen turns 90, and to celebrate this monumental occasion, Vauxhall Motors has given the green light to a ‘Royal Astra’ paying homage to the longest serving British Monarch.
From a retractable regal red carpet to a specially designed corgi booster seat, the red Royal ride is fuelled with a variety of Astra-cratic add-ons to ensure Queen Elizabeth II arrives to her party in style. And it’s not just her Majesty being honoured, Vauxhall has gone to great lengths to make sure the Queen’s prized Corgis are suitably looked after in the Royal manner with their very own booster seat.
Her Majesty has been a Vauxhall owner for more than 50 years, all in Balmoral Green, a bespoke deep green colour not normally supplied by Vauxhall. ‘MYT 1’ Her Majesty the Queen’s 1961 PA Cresta Friary Estate was a personal favourite, serving the royal fleet and containing a number of interesting features like fishing rod holders built into the roof and a gun rack.
The latest Astra has recently been recognised as European Car of the Year 2016 – further underlining its credentials. The seventh-generation Vauxhall Astra boasts onboard state of the art technology such as OnStar, as well as LED headlamps and an improved svelte body design. Since landing on UK roads over 35 years ago, one in four Brits have owned or driven an Astra making it a true legend of British manufacturing, and an icon fit for a Queen.
Denis Chick, Director of Communications, Vauxhall Motors and Holder of the Royal Warrant for Vauxhall Motors said, “A few years back, a new Omega estate car for the Royal Family was being prepared by our sister company, Opel, in Germany. It all seemed to be going to plan until the car arrived in Luton. Sure it was sober and green on the outside – but the interior trim was a customised riot of gaudy colour. A telephone call was hastily made to Germany asking them to explain the psychedelic seating and whether they knew this car was for the Queen. It transpired that the team at Opel were fitting the car for Queen the rock band and not Queen Elizabeth. The next day the car was duly dispatched back to Germany for a refit.”
Full details of the Royal Astra car specifications are listed below:
Windscreen wiping waving hand
“Corgis On Board” sign displayed on rear windscreen
Corgi booster seat
Union Jack cushions
Retractable red carpet
“Liz & Phil” front windscreen sun visor strip
