by Monica Lindemann on 18 January, 2013
I recieved this interesting story from a Project donor this week. I wonder which of the Queen’s cars he sat in?
The year was 1955, a year after the Queen’s visit. I was 7 years old living in Adelaide.
Uncle Elmer (not my real uncle) was a large, reserved man. Having recently arrived in Australia, he enlisted in the Australian Army (RAEME).
It was Sunday and my parents, my sister and I drove in our FJ Holden down to the Port Road where Uncle Elmer had a garage. Amongst the VWs was an imposing black car, a Daimler. Uncle Elmer had bought the Queen’s car!
I was invited to sit in the front but declined. Eventually I was coaxed into the back seat. A large glass pane separated the front and rear compartments. The most obvious accessory was a microphone, and I was puzzled as to why the Queen would want to talk into a microphone.
Monday morning came and off I went to Linden Park Primary School where I was in Grade 2. We had to write a ‘composition’ on our weekends activities. I was so excited! I could write about being in the Queen’s car. The composition was marked 2/10. “You shouldn’t tell lies” was the comment.
A bullet was lodged in the windscreen, perhaps to confirm the structural strength of the glass. I wonder if it is still there?
Alan, Canberra
Hi Monica, how interesting.
As our Daimler was owned by the Governor of South Australia, Sir Robert George, during the time of Alan’s visit, I suspect that this car was one of the twelve Daimler Conquest vehicles which were provided by the Daimler Company for the Royal Tour of 1954. I could be wrong, but I think these cars were shipped out to Australia in October 1953, and used to carry members of the press, entourage and other members of the ‘royal household’. They were intitally a loan but in fact were ultimately sold off at the end of the tour.
You can see a 1953 photo of two of these cars in Coventry here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3530202
I was recently in touch with a blog reader who now owns one of these Conquests. If anyone else knows anything further about the fate of these twelve cars, please do let us know.