Prince William borrows father’s vintage Aston Martin for Royal Wedding cruise [w/video]

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Government/Legal, Videos, Aston Martin, UK, Celebrities, Luxury

Prince William and Kate Middleton leave Royal Wedding in Aston Martin

Prince William and Kate Middleton leave Royal Wedding in Aston Martin – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kings and princes aren’t generally in the business of driving themselves… well, anywhere. More often than not, such dignitaries can be found ensconced in the lap of luxury known to us mere mortals (or at least non Royals) as The Back Seat. Then again, it’s not every day that a prince finds himself a brand new princess to call his very own, as is the case with the newly crowned Duchess of Cambridge.

And so it’s refreshing to see Prince William drive himself and his bride around London following the Royal Wedding in front of a massive swarm of onlookers. The best part, though, is that the Royal Couple chose to drive away in a perfectly appropriate Aston Martin. Not just any Aston Martin – this Seychelles Blue DB6 MKII Volante actually belongs to William’s dad, Prince Charles, and was gifted to him by his mother (that’d be The Queen, naturally) in 1969 on Charles’ 21st birthday.

A few details worthy of note: This droptop DB6 has been converted to run on Royal Grapes. Well, sort of. Aston Martin retrofitted this car’s engine with a kit that allows it to run on alcohol fuel, which is created using grapes grown on a vineyard owned by the Royal Family. So it’s green… -ish: it can only manage about eight miles per gallon. Also, take a gander at the big L on the front of the car. That stands for Learner; apparently even for Royal Learners. Also, the rear plate is a special one: JU5T WED. Clever.

And finally, are you wondering what William and Kate actually choose to drive when nobody else is looking? William reportedly owns an Audi S4, and Kate drives an Audi A3 hatchback.

Check out our high-res image gallery of the Royal Lovebirds in the Aston Martin DB6 Volante below, and feel free to check out video of the event after the break.

Gallery: Royal Wedding’s Vintage Aston Martin

[Images: Getty]

Continue reading Prince William borrows father’s vintage Aston Martin for Royal Wedding cruise [w/video]

Prince William borrows father’s vintage Aston Martin for Royal Wedding cruise [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Kahn customizes Maybach to commemorate William and Kate’s royal wedding

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Etc., Maybach, UK, Celebrities, Luxury

project kahn royal wedding commemorative maybach 57

Project Kahn’s Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Perhaps you’ve heard: two young Britons are getting hitched on Friday, April 29th, 2011. To mark the occasion, the groom, one William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor, better known as Prince William of Wales, and his bride-to-be, Kate Middleton, have been “honored” by exotic car customizer, Project Kahn.

The Project Kahn Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57 (what, no Bentleys or Rolls-Royces lying around the shop, guys?) is a blatant PR grab “tribute” to the new royal couple that will have nothing at all to do with the royal wedding itself reside at Project Kahn’s Bradford headquarters. The touched-up super Benz features Kahn-designed 22-inch wheels, smoked glass, an upgraded interior and darkened taillamps. It also wears the license plate, “4 HRH”, which means For His Royal Highness.

Take a closer look for yourself in the gallery below, then click past the jump to read the full press release.

Gallery: Project Kahn’s Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57

Project Kahn's Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57Project Kahn's Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57Project Kahn's Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57

[Source: Project Kahn]

Continue reading Project Kahn customizes Maybach to commemorate William and Kate’s royal wedding

Project Kahn customizes Maybach to commemorate William and Kate’s royal wedding originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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William and Kate royal wedding ride a protest-damaged Rolls-Royce

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Europe, Rolls-Royce, Celebrities, Luxury

1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI – Click above for full gallery of the royal wedding’s transportation

When Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot on April 29, the bride will ride to Westminster Abbey in a 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI that student protesters attacked on December 9. The car, carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla at the time, suffered a broken window and new two-tone paint job. Follow the jump for some video footage of how the attack went down.

According to Alex Garty, the transport manager at Buckingham Palace, the car is being repaired as we speak and will be ready for the April 29 nuptials. Garty says the car is getting a quick freshening while it’s being repaired, just to make sure it’s looking its best for the royal bride.

Once the knot has been tied, William and Kate will proceed back to Buckingham Palace in an open-top 1902 State Landau carriage, provided it isn’t raining. The same State Landau also took Prince Charles to St. Paul’s Cathedral for his 1981 wedding to Princess Diana.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the royal couple will ride in an 1881 Glass Coach, which is usually the vehicle of choice for royal brides to get to the church.

[Source: YouTube via Yahoo, Hello Magazine]

Continue reading William and Kate royal wedding ride a protest-damaged Rolls-Royce

William and Kate royal wedding ride a protest-damaged Rolls-Royce originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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