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While many celebrities are known for their expensive car collections, some go one step further with extravagant car customizations. Paris Hilton has both, though her jewel-encrusted pink Bentley is the most famous vehicle in her collection. Of course, not every custom car is a hit: the John InCENArator looks promising but proves to be impractical.

A custom car is usually no great expense for the wealthy royal families of the world. The royal family of England owns a few. The most expensive one belongs to a Southeast Asian ruler. How much did this gold-plated Rolls-Royce cost?

What kind of vehicles does the British royal family drive?

Rolls Royce logo
Rolls Royce logo | Getty Images

The royal family’s fleet contains many luxurious and interesting cars, most of which are from Rolls-Royce and Bentley. According to HotCars, the Queen owns two custom-built Bentley State Limousines. A twin-turbo V8 powers each one, has enhanced body armor, and sports the Coat of Arms on the roof.

In the 80s, Princess Margaret was known for driving around a vintage Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. Whenever Queen Elizabeth II had to make a public appearance, it was almost always from inside a Rolls-Royce Phantom. The royal family also owns a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, notable because only 18 units were produced.

The Queen reportedly loved her 30 Land Rover Defenders and owned a custom hybrid model built in 2015. It has a royal flag on the front, where you’d commonly see a hood ornament and a retractable roof. The Princes own some more modern cars, including an Audi RS6 and a Jaguar I-Pace.

This gold-plated Rolls-Royce is more expensive than the Queen’s State Limousines

2002 marked Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th year on the throne, which prompted Bentley to make those two State Limousines to commemorate the occasion. Each one has an estimated value of $13.5 million, and they’re the only two cars of their kind. However, Auto Evolution reports that the Sultan of Brunei owns the most expensive limousine. 

It’s a Rolls-Royce with a body clad in genuine 24-karat gold, even down to the wheel covers. The unique decorations along the side are also plated in gold, along with the oversized emblem on the car’s grille.

This Rolls-Royce was commissioned as a wedding gift, so its trunk was replaced with a privacy canopy. A bench sits under it where the bride and groom can sit, upholstered in canary yellow to match the rest of the car. It’s officially known as the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II and cost around $14 million.

Other notable gold-plated Rolls-Royce vehicles

Insider reports that there’s another gold Rolls-Royce out there, though this one was purchased for only $8 million. Owned by an anonymous Middle Eastern businessman, it’s one of the world’s only two armored EWB Rolls-Royce Phantoms. It’s relatively less expensive than the Silver Spur II because it’s only plated with 18-karat gold.

Its entire body is painted white, save for some gold-plated exterior accents on the grille and other areas. Insider says that just the gold accounts for $7 million of the car’s value, weighing 264 pounds altogether. The car is also built to withstand hand grenades and bullets from AK-47 rifles.

Unlike the Silver Spur II, we can also get a glimpse of this Phantom’s interior. It looks like it has ample seating, surrounded by smooth leather upholstery and glossy wood inlays.

Even if the average car collector could afford these rare royalty limousines, there’s little chance of one going up for sale. Besides the occasional auction, most of the Queen’s cars remain in the royal family’s extensive fleet. The Sultan’s Silver Spur II will also likely stay in his car collection, worth an estimated $5 billion.

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