UNIQUE SHOWCASE OF VEHICLES USED BY HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II AT THE TORONTO DISTILLERY DISTRICT MAY 10-11
Historic Canadian display of five Royal vehicles from the personal and state fleet of HM Queen Elizabeth II
A tribute to the long history between the Royal Family and JLR which proudly displays the Royal Warrant as an official supplier of vehicle to The Royal Household
In April 2024, HM King Charles III granted JLR a Royal Warrant, and in April 2025 HM Queen Camilla also granted JLR a Royal warrant thus extending the relationship between the automaker and the monarchy
TORONTO, May 8, 2025 /CNW/ - The deep connection between HM Queen Elizabeth II and JLR spanned seven decades and continues to charm loyalists and automobile enthusiasts around the globe. To celebrate the Queen's long history with the automaker, Land Rover Classic has curated a collection of the HM Queen Elizabeth II's state and personal fleet for tour with a single Canadian stop in Toronto, open to the public on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday May 11th, 2025, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm in Toronto's Historic Distillery District.
Exclusive Media Vehicle Reveal and Press Briefing: Friday, May 9th, 10:00 am, Tank House Lane and Trinity Street, Toronto.
As Queen of Canada, HM Queen Elizabeth II had a special connection to both the country and its people, often referring to Canada as a "second home." It is therefore befitting HM that Land Rover Classic bring to Canada this historic exhibit of the vehicles used by the beloved monarch. Each model in the display has been carefully restored and is a tribute to HM, as well as to JLR which proudly displays the Royal Warrant as an official supplier of vehicles to the Royal family dating back to 1948 when King George VI choose an original model Land Rover for state and personal use.
HM Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life and reign to the service of the Crown and Commonwealth. She was an unparalleled presence among World Leaders who revered and respected Her Majesty's duty, wisdom, and grace. JLR is proud to hold two Royal Warrants as a supplier of automobiles to the Royal Family.
The Canadian display includes:
1954 Land Rover Series I State Review vehicle
The very first State Review Land Rover vehicle featured a custom-designed rear platform and accompanied HM Queen Elizabeth II and HM The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on a six-month tour of the Commonwealth. This vehicle was sent to Australia for that leg of the tour and is now under the care of a private collector in the United States.
1954 Land Rover Series I (NXN 1)
Originally ordered by HM King George VI, it was used by HM Queen Elizabeth II and other senior members of the Royal Family at Balmoral. Land Rover apprentices restored it in 2010, and it now resides in the Land Rover Classic collection.
1990 Range Rover State Review vehicle
The second State Review Range Rover ever created; this is featured in the image chosen by HM Queen Elizabeth II for her 1994 Christmas card. In it, she and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are pictured attending the 50th Anniversary of D-Day Landings in Arromanches. This vehicle is part of the British Motor Museum collection.
1983 Defender 110 V8
A personal vehicle commissioned and used by HM Queen Elizabeth II, it was used on Crown estates Sandringham and Balmoral and was ideal for rural transport and Royal pursuits. The car is fitted with special equipment, leather seats, and a special radio system and is finished in dark green paint to Queen Elizabeth II's choice. With grab handles and footsteps, it is suitable for shooting and fishing trips. This vehicle is part of the British Motor Museum collection.
2005 Rand Rover L322 State Review
This is the fifth State I Royal Review vehicle provided by Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations.
Like all State vehicles, this one is painted in the royal color claret and boasts hand-painted crests on the doors and tailgate. It features the royal crown topped by a golden-crowned lion, which is part of the royal Coat of Arms. The crown is surrounded by a garter bearing the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (meaning shame on him who thinks evil). This symbolizes the Order of the Garter, an ancient order of knighthood.
The specially adapted rear platform from which the royal party can look out has the same black leather upholstery as inside the driver's cabin. The tailgate folds down to reveal a set of steps so the royal party can easily access the platform. This vehicle was famously used to transport the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry during Queen Elizabeth II's ninetieth birthday parade in 2016. This vehicle is part of the British Motor Museum collection.
Notes to Editors
About Land Rover Classic
Land Rover Classic is the official source of authentic cars, expert services, genuine parts and unforgettable experiences for classic Land Rover enthusiasts worldwide. Our team of highly-skilled engineers at the Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works facility in Coventry specialises in outstanding Land Rover Series I and Range Rover Reborn restorations and building the Defender Works V8.
All enquiries from prospective Land Rover Classic customers should be directed to: [email protected] / +44 (0) 2476 566 600 / www.landrover.com/classic
Important notice
JLR is constantly seeking ways to improve the specification, design and production of its vehicles, parts and accessories and alterations take place continually. Whilst every effort is made to produce up-to-date literature, this document should not be regarded as an infallible guide to current specifications or availability, nor does it constitute an offer for the sale of any particular vehicle, part or accessory. All figures are manufacturer's estimates.
For more information on the full range of cars, services, parts and experiences offered by Land Rover Classic, visit: www.landrover.com/classic
Land Rover Classic Channels:
Instagram: instagram.com/landrover.classic/
SOURCE Jaguar Land Rover
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- CTV News
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Global News
21 hours ago
- Global News
Canada's EV market was already in trouble. Tariffs made it worse, Ontario workers say
Bob Pulham recalls the optimism in the air when General Motors began producing electric vans in Ingersoll, Ont., in late 2022. As the first BrightDrop commercial van rolled off the line at the CAMI Assembly plant, GM executives, union leaders and former prime minister Justin Trudeau touted it as a major milestone for electric vehicle production in Canada. Pulham, a Unifor representative at the plant, remembers talk of increasing shifts and hiring more people to produce 50,000 such delivery vans annually by 2025. But the sales never picked up, the plant kept slowing down the production line amid sluggish demand and the optimism slowly faded. This April, GM announced it would idle the plant for several months and resume production in October with just one shift. Union members say about half of 1,200 workers at the plant will be gone as a result. Story continues below advertisement 'I feel bad for all 600 that are being laid off. It's a horrible position to be put in,' Pulham said in an interview. 'It's a crazy amount of uncertainty and I think that hurts people.' The announcement came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles, but a GM Canada spokesperson said the halt was directly related to lower-than-expected demand for the BrightDrop vans. Pulham, who began working at the CAMI plant more than three decades ago, said his wife has also been laid off and is now pondering whether to go back to school or search for a new job. Several other companies, including Honda, Stellantis, Umicore and Ford have also delayed or scrapped their EV projects amid the slow sales growth and the ongoing trade war. GM Canada said reducing production in Ingersoll was necessary to adjust to market demand and balance inventory. But workers at the CAMI plant say Trump's tariffs made things even worse. They've experienced the industry's ups and downs over the decades, but say this challenge is especially difficult at a time of great economic uncertainty. 'There's a push to build (vehicles) in the U.S., and that has caused a lot of issues over here,' Pulham said. 'So, it's not a good situation.' Story continues below advertisement Mike Van Boekel, the Unifor Local 88 CAMI plant chairperson, said even though workers knew layoffs were on the horizon, the news was still shocking for many. 'It was terrible,' he said. 'I thought we were going to lose a shift. I was worried in the back of my mind … and now it has come true.' GM's ambitious plan to be at the 'forefront of a big wave' of electric delivery van production didn't materialize because the timing was not right, Boekel said. He felt the company was gaining some momentum before the imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles. GM had just received an order of a thousand delivery vans from the U.S. grocery chain giant Kroger, he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'So, it looked like we were just getting to go and all of a sudden, the tariffs came on,' he said, adding that CAMI workers will still produce Kroger's vans when they return to the factory this fall. Workers aren't the only ones feeling the pain. The ripple effects of layoffs are a source of concern for Ingersoll Mayor Brian Petrie. The CAMI plant, which spans two million square feet, is the largest employer in the southwestern Ontario town of about 14,000 people. Petrie said Ingersoll expects to receive $1.8 million in municipal taxes from the company this year, which is around 10 per cent of the total levies the town is expected to collect. Story continues below advertisement 'It is devastating because we're not talking about new employees here, either, these are long serving employees and … they've had a tough road going up to that point,' Petrie said in a recent interview at his office. The federal government under Trudeau set a target of 100 per cent zero-emission sales of light duty vehicles by 2035. Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin indicated this week that mandate won't be changing. But that goal seems hard to achieve, Petrie said. 'It's honest to say that I think everybody may have misunderstood the scale of the problem that we're facing to do the EV switch,' he said. 'I think all of them will admit that it's been a bigger problem than they once thought.' Still, he thinks the more than $50 billion in investments that Canada has pledged since 2020 to incentivize the EV supply chain will pay off in the long term. Some provinces, including Manitoba and Quebec, are offering rebates for electric vehicle purchases. B.C.'s rebate program, which was the longest running in the country, was paused last month. Ontario scrapped its rebate program after Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives won the election in 2018. The federal government also halted in January its Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program, which offered up to $5,000 off the cost of a new electric vehicle. Dabrusin said Ottawa intends to bring back consumer rebates for EVs, but doesn't yet know what they'll look like. Story continues below advertisement Zero-emissions vehicles represented only 8.7 per cent of all new vehicle sales in Canada in the first quarter of 2025 — a drop from 16.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to data from Statistics Canada. The sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids had steadily increased from below one per cent in 2017 to 14.6 in 2024, but experts say the growth hasn't been nearly as fast as many expected. Dan Park, CEO of online used car retailer Clutch, said EV adoption has been slower in Canada because people normally drive long distances in colder temperatures, which reduces battery life by 20 to 40 per cent and slows down the charging speed. 'Canada is just a fundamentally harder market to have,' he said. 'Until technology and battery life is improved to be able to handle colder conditions, I think Canadians will just shy away from it.' Park said EVs make up only five per cent of Clutch's inventory, which is tied to consumer demand. He said consumer rebates and production subsidies 'artificially propped up the market,' and provincial and federal governments should instead invest in a stronger charging infrastructure to encourage more Canadians to adopt EVs. A recent survey by consumer insights firm J.D. Power shows that only 28 per cent of nearly 4,000 respondents said they were 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase, down from 29 per cent last year and 34 per cent in 2023. The survey also found that 75 per cent of new vehicle purchasers aren't confident Canada can reach its 2035 zero-emission vehicle sales goal. Story continues below advertisement Manufacturers took note of the lacklustre interest. Honda Canada announced in May that it's postponing a $15-billion EV project in Ontario, citing the 'unexpected slowdown' in the market. Stellantis is postponing the production of an EV model of 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T at its Windsor, Ont., plant as it assesses the effects of U.S. tariffs. And Ford Motor Co. said it will assemble F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks at its Oakville, Ont., plant beginning in 2026 instead of planned electric vehicle production at the site. Despite the setbacks, Environment and Climate Change Canada said it will continue to support investments and innovations in the EV supply chain. Canada's zero-emissions vehicle sales mandates ensure 'Canadians have access to electric vehicles, which offer long-term savings for consumers,' department spokesperson Hermine Landry said in a statement. 'Transportation emissions have declined to levels not seen in decades, demonstrating that we can grow our economy while also fighting climate change,' Landry said. 'It is important to remain focused on the fact that the real threat to the Canadian auto industry right now are the unjustified tariffs from the United States.' Overall, Canadians buy around two million new vehicles annually and the country produces approximately 1.5 million of them, according to Unifor. Autoworkers say the federal government should push for more vehicle production in Canada from manufacturers such as Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and others that don't have any production footprint in the country, to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs. Story continues below advertisement 'It'd be nice, (if) the government stands up for us and you know says to these big companies, 'If you want to sell here, then you need to build here as well,'' said Paul Harvey, who works as a framing team leader at CAMI. Harvey said that although he and his wife will keep their jobs at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, they will both have to work the same hours when production resumes on one shift. With four children at home, that means the couple will need a new child-care plan and increased costs will come with it. Harvey, who has been an autoworker for 20 years, said it would be 'kind of silly' to think that the transition to electric vehicles would happen at the flick of a switch. He said he and his wife remain optimistic about the EV market and that's why they purchased a Chevy Blazer EV just a few weeks ago. 'We're committed to moving into the future with the electrified vehicles,' he said. 'I do believe it will get there eventually.'
