JAKARTA - The legendary British car, Land Rover and Prince Philip Mountbatten, are two things that are difficult to separate. Apart from being a favorite vehicle, Land Rover will also carry Prince Philip's coffin at the funeral this Saturday, April 17.
Yes, the plan, Pangaran Philip's body will be brought to the Chapel st. George with the Land Rover he ordered and was involved in the design process. Instead of using the traditional black color, the Land Rover is covered in dark bronze green paint, a color widely used for British military Land Rovers.
"We are very fortunate to have enjoyed a very long and happy relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh for decades," said Thierry Bolloré, Chief Executive of Jaguar Land Rover in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
"We are also honored that the Land Rover that Duke designed will be used at the funeral on Saturday," he continued.
The palace said the late Prince Philip began consulting designs with Land Rover engineers about 18 years ago or in 2003.
Launching Sky News, the Land Rover, which will carry Prince Philip's coffin, is a modified Land Rover Defender TD5 130 chassis cab. Built around the Defender TD5 chassis at the Land Rover factory in Solihull, northwest London, the rear of the vehicle was modified to be more like a pickup truck capable of carrying Prince Philip's casket.
"The Land Rover really was specially designed according to the specifications desired by the Duke of Edinburgh. Further modifications, reportedly including a rubber handle designed to keep the casket in place, were carried out until 2019," the palace said.
Bollore said it was referring to Prince Philip's lifelong interest in technology and how it can change people's lives. Bollore called Prince Philip an extraordinary champion for design, engineering and technology.
"During his visit to our site, he engaged with hundreds of employees and demonstrated his impressive knowledge, as well as a deep interest in vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing," recalls Bollore.
Philip has a keen interest in cars, especially British-made ones like the Land Rover that got his personal stamp of approval, or "Royal Warrant," 40 years ago.
He also visited the Jaguar Land Rover factory many times and accompanied Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 when she officially opened the company's new engine plant in Wolverhampton.
As a newlywed, Philip loved British sports cars and fell in love with the Range Rover when it was first introduced in the 1970s, according to Car and Driver magazine.
In 2016, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrived at Windsor Castle by helicopter for lunch with Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Philip shocked reporters when he took over the helm of the Range Rover and insisted on escorting Barack Obama and Michelle and Queen Elizabeth II to the Castle. It was only about 400 yards, but Philip was 94 years old at the time.
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