Prince Philip's custom Land Rover: Inside the converted Defender 130 - 9News

An outdoorsman by birth and by nature, when Prince Philip is escorted to his final resting place it will be in the back of one of Britain's most iconic vehicles.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed the prince instructed to forego the traditional black hearse in favour of a Land Rover he had custom designed himself.

The leading set of wheels is a converted Land Rover Defender 130 Gun Bus built by local specialists Foley's.

A converted Land Rover Defender 130 Gun Bus delivered to Prince Philip for use at Sandringham in 2016. (Foley's Specialist Vehicles)

Prince Philip instructed to forego the traditional black hearse in favour of a Land Rover he had custom designed himself. (Getty)

Known as the oldest family-run company in the world dedicated to the Defender brand, Foley's delivered a hand-built Defender 130 Gun Bus for the duke to use at Sandringham in 2016.

It's widely anticipated the duke's gun bus will be modified to carry his coffin, or another of Foley's creations – a 130 hearse conversion – will be used.

In traditional British tradition, a "gun bus" is a car or tractor-driven box in which members of a shooting party sit as they are driven around an estate to new shooting locations.

A previous conversion Foley's completed of a Defender 130 hearse. (Foley's Specialist Vehicles)

Foley's have previously created hearse-style Land Rover Defenders. (Foley's Specialist Vehicles)

"We have just delivered a totally rebuilt 130 Defender Gun Bus to the Duke of Edinburgh for use on one of the Estates," Foley's wrote on Facebook in 2016.

"Built to his specifications in the traditional Deep Bronze Green to an 'As New' standard. Built onto a galvanised chassis and hand-built rear body."

There is some speculation the Defender has been converted to an electric or hybrid powertrain, in keeping with the Duke's requests for an eco-friendly send off.

Inside a Defender hearse created by Foley's. It's anticipated Philip's may look like this. (Foley's Specialist Vehicles)

Royal Family's Long History with Jaguar Land Rover

The Royal Family is no stranger to Land Rover's long lineage of vehicles.

His connection with the car is perhaps most well known for his 2019 crash in which he overturned a late-model Range Rover, but Prince Philip has driven Land Rovers for much of his life.

For her 90th birthday, the Queen and Prince Philip rode in a custom open-top maroon Range Rover powered by a hybrid engine to reduce fumes.

Queen Elizabeth II is seen driving a Land Rover at The Windsor Horse Trials in Windsor on May, 13 1996. (EMPICS Entertainment Archive)

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh takes the wheel of the Land Rover to drive Queen Elizabeth II around her inspection of the jumps in the European Horse Trials in Windsor Great Park. *Neg corrupt. Contact scanned (Photo by PA/PA Images via Getty Images) (PA Images via Getty Images)

Her Majesty has been known as an avid Defender fan, with approximately 30 vehicles currently used on Royal estates.

Defenders are preferred for their nous in green laning (the British version of four-wheel-driving) as well as their suitably for shooting game and spending time outdoors.

She has frequently been photographed driving her Range Rover on public roads as well as on estate grounds.

Queen Elizabeth II watches competitors compete in the Land Rover International Driving Grand Prix during the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle, London 17/05/2014. (PA WIRE)

Famously, although every British licence is issued in her name, the Queen is not required to carry a drivers licence and does not require a number plate on her car.

She is also immune to be fined for driving without a seatbelt.

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2021-04-16 22:16:37Z
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