When you've got a large estate, then a large estate is always useful, which is why HM the Queen ordered a 'Countryman' conversion on a Vanden Plas 3.0-litre saloon in 1963. With its split tailgate, folding seats and big load area, it was perfect for a trip down to the stables at Balmoral, which was where the car, finished in a fetching shade of bottle green, saw the most use. An automatic with grey leather, it had special attachments for fitting angling equipment to the roof. Only one other 3.0-litre Countryman appears to have been made, for Sir Leonard Lord, the boss of BMC.
The Queen put in another order in 1966 for a 4.0-litre R version (pictured) but, rumour has it, this was written off by one of the Royals at Balmoral and now languishes in a secret location. But does the 3.0-litre still exist? We'd love to know.
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