For decades, the royal family’s car collection has been the subject of oohs and ahhs. The Palace has fleets of rare and ultra-luxe vehicles worth millions. Rolls Royce and Aston Martin models are common here.

As such, the Palace policy is never to sell or exchange official gifts. According to The Guardian, however, in 1995, King Charles decided to run a gifted Aston Martin through Sotheby’s, earning £110,000 from the auction for his charity, the Prince’s Trust.

The car was a formal present from the emir of Bahrain. The 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage convertible was driven publicly by Charles in the days leading up to the auction.

Personal cars are hard to pin down since, by and large, vehicles are obtained, stored, and maintained by the crown in sovereign right. While the Royal Palace hasn’t commented on which vehicles the family drives are owned individually, leased, or under the crown’s sovereign right, this one might cross the line.

1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante Specs and Feaures

Aston Martin is known as prime British automotive luxury and engineering. Famed for its James Bond relations, the V8 Vantage appeared in 1987’s “The Living Daylights” starring Timothy Dalton. The V8 is the longest-running model in the automaker’s lineup.

Spec	1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante
Production	166 units
Body style	2-Door convertible
Engine	309 hp DOHC V8
Transmission	5-speed manual
Wheelbase	102.8”
Suspension	Independent, coil springs, upper/lower control arms
Brakes	4-wheel hydraulic disc
Passenger seating	4

The Guardian couldn’t get an answer from Buckingham Palace about whether Charles’s Aston Martin fell under official royal gifts. Perhaps, in this case, no answer is louder than a “no.”

Source: RM Sotheby’s