Jaguar, Land Rover to attend Royal Festival at Buckingham Palace

• Jaguar Land Rover to showcase its past, present and future at the Coronation Festival
• Jaguar C-X75 Hybrid Supercar Prototype to take centre stage
• Exclusive collection of Royal heritage vehicles on display

Jaguar Land Rover is set to celebrate automotive innovation with a display of vehicles representing the best of British engineering over the last six decades at the Coronation Festival – July 11th to 14th.

As the only automotive manufacturer to hold Royal Warrants from all three Grantors, Jaguar Land Rover will showcase vehicles which highlight the company’s world-class capability in developing pioneering products and technologies with the Jaguar C-X75 Hybrid Supercar Prototype taking centre stage in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

The C-X75 is a state-of-the-art hybrid supercar with the efficiency of a low-emissions city car representing the pinnacle of the company’s engineering and design expertise. The great achievements in the development of C-X75 prototypes - including cutting-edge hybrid technologies, carbon composite materials and advanced design solutions pioneered in association with Williams Advanced Engineering - will be utilised in other areas of research and development, innovative future products and next-generation engineering for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.

This is the latest example of Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to delivering technical excellence through product and technological innovation. Jaguar Land Rover has more than 7,000 designers and engineers dedicated to delivering the pioneering automotive innovations which have become synonymous with its vehicles throughout the decades. For Land Rover these innovations include the first SUV with Electronic Traction Control, anti-lock brakes and Stop/Start technologies and industry-first applications of adjustable air suspension, Hill Descent Control and Terrain Response®. For Jaguar these innovations include the development of the modern disc brake first seen on the Jaguar C-TYPE and more recently, the first pyrotechnic deployable bonnet safety feature on the Jaguar XK and the first aluminium monocoque body on the XJ.

Two of the latest additions to both the Jaguar and Land Rover ranges - the F-TYPE and the all-new Range Rover, will also be on display at the Festival and offer further examples of the company’s pioneering use of aluminium technology. The F-TYPE showcases the fourth generation of Jaguar's acclaimed lightweight aluminium architecture whilst the Range Rover is the world's first SUV with a revolutionary lightweight all-aluminium monocoque body structure and is 39 per cent lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model enabling total vehicle weight savings of up to 420kg.

Highlighting Jaguar and Land Rover’s rich lineage will be a specially selected collection of heritage vehicles. This bespoke line up represents Jaguar Land Rover’s 60 years of service to the Royal Family, with each car telling its own unique story. Amongst them are the 1953 Land Rover Royal ceremonial vehicle known as State IV which was part of a fleet which accompanied Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on a six month Commonwealth tour soon after the coronation, and a 1955 Jaguar Mark VIIM saloon used by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother for her private motoring from 1955 until 1973.

These cars along with a 1949 Land Rover series I Troop review, a 1966 Land Rover series II Military Escort, two Royal review Range Rovers from 1974 and 2002, a 1961 Jaguar E-TYPE Series I and a 2002 Daimler X308 Super V8 Saloon were yesterday transported back along The Queen’s 1953 Coronation route as they took part in a celebratory cavalcade through the iconic streets of London from Horse Guards Parade to Admiralty Arch and Westminster Abbey.

The Coronation Festival which takes place in the gardens of Buckingham Palace from 11th July to 14th July is a celebration of innovation, excellence and industry through trade and craft.Uniquely it will be the first time that more than 200 companies who hold Royal Warrants of Appointment have been brought together in this way to showcase their goods, services and skills.

Queen Elizabeth II Unique Bentley takes pride of place.

• Unique opportunity to view Royal Bentley in Buckingham Palace Gardens
• Craftsmen and designers show world-class skills at ‘open air’ workshop
• Mulsanne flagship takes centre stage in Bentley exhibition

Visitors to the Coronation Festival (11-14 July) will be able to enjoy the rare opportunity to see one of the most recognisable and elegant cars in the world, Her Majesty The Queen’s State Limousine.

This unique Bentley, presented to The Queen in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne, will be the centrepiece of a collection of Bentleys on display in Buckingham Palace Gardens throughout the celebrations.

“Whilst the State Limousine is known to millions of people across the world, the Coronation Festival will offer a superb opportunity for visitors to take their time to walk around the car and get closer than usually possible. Her Majesty and The Royal Household have kindly made the car available for the occasion,” comments Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations.

Bentley’s craftsmen, designers and engineers (in partnership with several leading British automotive specialists) started work on ‘Project Diamond’ in 2000 with the clear objective of creating a truly elegant car suitable for every type of Royal occasion.

The State Limousine is designed to ensure as many well-wishers as possible have the opportunity to see The Queen and Bentley created a ‘panoramic glasshouse’ as well as making the vehicle far higher than any other car. Additionally, the rear seat position was determined using a model of the same height as The Queen and the doors are hinged at the rear and open through 90 degrees to enable Her Majesty to almost walk out of the car.

As well as presenting the State Limousine, Bentley’s craftsmen and designers will be offering live displays of some of the skills that provide every car that leaves the Crewe factory with a hand-built, bespoke feel.

The ‘open air workshop’ will show guests the mix of hand-to-eye coordination, skill and attention to detail needed to create Bentley’s luxury car models. For example, the team will be demonstrating how to contrast stitch a steering wheel or apply a crossband design to a wood veneer.

A final highlight from Bentley will be the presence of the company’s flagship model; the Mulsanne. Blending refinement and performance with luxury features and technology, the Mulsanne offers the greatest of grand touring experiences. The car takes nearly 400 hours to create (with 200 hours dedicated to crafting the luxurious interior) and nearly 120 exterior colours are available as standard as well as 24 leather colours. The steering wheel alone requires ten feet of thread and 620 stitches to complete.